There is nothing about GUP

By Gaurav Parab


There is a good reason why I sign my e-mails with my full name. If you have been in this industry long enough, you would know that usually the super-achievers, or senior management folks are often referred by their initials than their names. I once had a chance to ask a senior pro about how he came to be known by his initials.

“Respect.” He replied back, “If you do significant things, even your initials become a power brand”

He was on to something. JRD, NRN, MGR, SRK, VVS, the list is endless. Yes, all these great individuals are known by their initials. There is something powerful about the initials in one’s name.

In the IT industry, where a lot of professionals come from a diverse background – a lot of people tend to call their colleagues by their nick names or initials. Over the years, such nicknames usually stick and the person becomes known by his initials, sometimes more, than his actual name. So if you get a mail signed by someone who goes by the name of say JR, MS, RT or GS - then it can mean one of two things. You are either receiving a Star of the Month Award, or you messed up that delivery you sent day before yesterday.

“ Hey VM, this is Bob. The new kid you bought on last week really messed up the delivery. Can you keep an eye on him?”

“I have a better idea Bob. Let me send him a mail with my initials in it. That should give him a Pro Mitral Prolapse”

On the other hand, if you get a nice mail by say someone known by his initials, make sure that all your team mates see it.

“Come here look look! Shymalan got an appreciation mail from VM!”

"Whaaat! Party! Let us hire a tractor, 40 ton speakers, a hundred dancers and place Shymalan on our shoulders and carry him around the campus. Or till wherever we can carry him before we get tired”

“As we take him around on our shoulders we need a slogan to shout” cries one senior developer,

“I know…I know….How about.. .East or west, Shymlan is the…” suggests junior developer.

Everyone looks around. “Is the…Is the..” they prompt.

“I don’t know, I cant think of a word that rhymes with West”

Everyone falls silent and thinks.

“I got it! East or West, Shymlan even in Jest, …Is Superb” shouts the senior developer.

Everyone claps. “hey, but what about superb” new comer hesitatingly asks.

“What about it?”

“It does not rhyme with Jest. Like Jest rhymes with West”

“We have a problem.” Manager acknowledges

“Not if we find a word that rhymes with Superb” architect clenches his fist and starts thinking.

And then Shymalan is taken around the campus amidst shouts of, “East or West, Shymlan even in Jest, Is Superb. Herb Herb Herb.”

Coming back to the reason, I thought there could be something about GUP. I then wrote a mail to my team mates and signed off as GUP, inserting the fax number of the Shangahi office, VOIP number for Boston, the MSEB Consumer Code for my Pashan house, my ex-Nokia battery number and the Building 1 printer IP address in the signature body.

“That should get the excel filled up pretty fast..” Snicker Snicker.

Next day, I received an automated response from the Microsoft System Administrator


Dear Gaurav Ullhas Parab, [ Or should I call you Gaurav Ullhas Shankarrao Demaji Parab]

Nice try buddy. The mail server which detects improper use of powerful acronyms has detected that last night at 21:23 hours you attempted to sign a mail as GUP. This is a level 1 offence as your GUP to Salary ratio is beyond the permissible limits of 200 Mb. Please contact your CCD representative to regain the use of your name and your car.

Thanks and Regards,

MSA

PS- I also donated the GUP acronym to the National Virus Institute of Vietnam. They promise to name the next strain of the bird flu as GUP - 1.


Thanks and Regards,

- MSA { No this is not a typo, I like to sign my name as MSA. Makes me look good in front of the SMTP and the DNS}

Yes, there is a good reason why I sign my e-mails with my full name.