Paper rectangles go around

Things have changed so much; emails have replaced snail mails, cell phones have replaced land lines, laptops have redefined the entire concept of working, we today bank online, order food using apps; technology has changed all our lives irreversibly. But one thing which does not seem to have changed much is the ubiquitous visiting card. Even the most tech-savvy person seems to have a business card.

One can shrug this off and say that this too has changed but has it really? When you meet someone in the corporate world for a business dealing, surely like shaking hands, exchange of visiting card does remain unchanged. In this world of past paced technology, why has this concept remained unchanged? Probably because a better, quick to use alternate to paper business card is not yet found. There are apps which let you snap a photo of a business card and turn them into address book entries. But the underlying fact is that for apps to snap, we still need the business card.

Maybe one day, these small paper rectangles might be replaced by a cheaper and easy to use technology, maybe on the smartphone but till then, if anyone wants to text you or email or even call, well, it is the age-old business card which is still needed.  Strange how some of the simplest of things remain unchanged while everything around it undergoes a complete transformation.