Dating with Whatsapp
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本來只是一個傳 free SMS 的 iPhone App，不知從何時起，我的生活竟然有很大部份時間都是圍繞着這個 App 而運作。
除了工作以外，我本來就是很懶打電話的人。打電話要花的力氣和時間都要多，而我亦了解自己很能講「長途」電話的特點，與其花時間講個不停，倒不如靜下來做自己的事，我的日常工作也已讓我說個夠。
自從年初因 M 的慫恿下用裝了 Whatsapp，我打電話也就更懶，甚至連工作有關的聯絡也交由Whatsapp進行。以往有些時候我也會傳 SMS，但因公司津貼的流動電話費用有限，免得過也不會浪費額外金錢去傳 SMS，把我辛苦賺來的工資上繳直接或間接由各大地產商操控的電訊網絡供應商。每個 SMS 收費 HK$0.5 也是太過份了，所以工作有關的 communication，我還是打電話和send email。
但有了 Whatsapp，情況就不一樣。因為免費，所以也可盡情的打發 SMS：問資料，約訪問，收料，收相，甚至連訪問我也試過於 Whatsapp 上盡行，有時我覺得用 Whatsapp 可能更好，因為白紙黑字，又可以留底，email chat history 給自己，說過的都無得抵賴唔認。跟同事的日常通訊一般都用 MSN，但我最近已經連 MSN App 都 delete 了。有 Whatsapp 已夠，也無須浪費 disk space 去裝置一個不甚 user-friendly 又 delay 又經常 hang 的 App。
跟朋友的聯繫就更離譜。打電話已不是首選。我會先在我的 Whatsapp 看看究竟我想找的人是否也用 Whatsapp，如果不在，又若果非必要或非緊急，我可能會轉移用 Facebook 或 email，因為我不肯定那人是否跟我「心連心」（屬同網絡的有免費SMS）。那人沒有 Whatsapp 的話，我都會像「SELL屎」上身那樣的去勸告那位朋友去裝 Whatsapp。那個 Group Chat 的 function 更就不得了。曾經有一段時間，每晚也在 Group Chat 上一、兩小時，說的都是八卦無聊的笑料。現在隨着主要的 Group Chat mates 都沒有出現，那些日字也告一段落。
現在好像連打電話的力氣也沒有了。我愛你，我恨你，我要跟你分手。。。甚麼也在Whatsapp 說，Whatsapp 已成為我的情人密友。不只是我，其他人也一樣。我的電話好像已不再是電話，因那電話的最基本武功早已被廢掉了。
現在我只等待着那一通電話，但看來我也只有白等。
Initially just an iPhone App allowing smartphone users to send free text messages to each other, my life has somehow become to orbit around this little application called Whatsapp.
Outside of work, I've always been very lazy with making phone calls. For some reason I find calling people consumes a lot of time and energy. Plus I know myself well enough that I'm not the kind of person who knows when to shut up, so instead of talking endlessly on the phone, I'd rather spend time with myself.
Ever since I installed Whatsapp under the "encouragement" of M earlier this year, I found myself even lazier with calling people. I even rely on Whatsapp for work-related communication. I would send SMS from time to time, but because of the very limited mobile phone subsidies from the company, I'd avoid sending SMS and rather send messages through Whatsapp, because its free, and I do not want to hand in my over my hard earning salary to mobile phone service providers that are directly or indirectly controlled by property developers. After all HK$0.5 per text message to someone outside of your network is simply too much, if you have to send hundreds of them a month. So in the end I have no choice but to make phone calls or send emails.
But things are different with the emergence of Whatsapp. Because it is free, I can send as many text messages as I want: from collecting information to arranging interviews, I do it through Whatsapp. Sometimes I even do interviews via Whatsapp. It's even better because everything is in black and white, and I can always email chat history to myself, so there's no way for anyone to deny what they have said. Usually we communicate with colleagues through MSN, but lately I even deleted the App from my iPhone. Having Whatsapp is enough, and there's no need to waste any more disk space on an App that is so not user-friendly and unstable.
Communication with friends has become worse. Making phone calls would never be the first option. I would go through the Whatsapp users list on my App to check if the person I want to contact is on. If not, and if it isn't something urgent, I'd send messages through Facebook or email, because I'm not sure if the person belongs to the same mobile phone network as me so as to send free SMS. If that person doesn't have Whatsapp, I would turn into a persistent saleswoman of this App to "encourage" that person to install it. That Group Chat function is even more crazy! There was a time when a group of us gossiping for an hour or so every night via this function.
Now I feel that I don't even have the slightest energy to make a phone call any more. Everything even I love you, I hate you, I want to break up with you...are all said via Whatsapp. Whatsapp has become my lover and my best friend. And it's not just me, but also same for everyone else. My phone is no longer a phone.
And now I'm sitting hear waiting for that one phone call, but I guess I'm just waiting in vain.
ENDS