Technology, our constant companion

By Jenny McLeod, G2G3

For the past week the voice of disgruntled Fringe lovers has echoed throughout Edinburgh. Unexpected IT issues meant that, until today the advance-booking system was not in operation and weeks of careful highlighting could not be brought to fruition. Yes, this was an inconvenience for those whose August plans were temporarily postponed, but it also highlights the vital role that technology has come to play in our daily lives - even in the simple act of purchasing a ticket! It's not that I think this technological crutch should be removed, only that we should be emotionally prepared for the times in which we are unexpectedly abandoned. My internet connection was down for thirty minutes today and in this short time I began to wonder how my life had ever functioned without email, google and my daily Facebook fix! Technology is our constant companion and this makes the times in which things go wrong all the more unsettling. Thankfully it has been all systems go for the Fringe office today and with nearly 1.7 million tickets sold in 2007, let's just hope that these technical issues have been permanently combed out.