A nasty stomach bug has swept its away across the PC Pro office over the past week. Since last Friday, the malady has managed to wipe out nearly half the editorial team, with deputy editor David Fearon, reviews editor Jon Bray, laptops editor Sasha Muller and my not-so-good self all being forced to remain at home within touching distance of the porcelain throne since the start of the week.

And yet thanks to the modern marvel that is the interweb, our lack of presence has been barely felt in the office. On the days when one of us has been forced to mount a home guard, we’ve kept in touch with the office via instant messenger, email and the odd phone call. I’ve been able to update the website remotely from my office at home (putting up more stories than I would have if I’d been interrupted by my phone/meetings/colleagues playing Johnny Cash covers of Depeche Mode) today, and edit a feature. Jon Bray even managed to freak out the office yesterday, by remotely logging-in to his desktop and start jiggling around files and folders on his unmanned screen for the Labs he’s currently editing.

Our carry-on-regardless attitude will probably have the NUJ picketing Dennis Towers tomorrow, claiming our employer is remorselessly flogging us on our sickbeds. But whilst we’ve definitely been off-colour (Jon Bray looked distinctly Amy Winehouse on Monday), we’re well enough to carry on working.

Ten years ago, without broadband connections to ferry features and hi-res photos to the subs, update the website and maintain an always-on link to the office, we’d have been rushing back to work to make sure the magazine hit deadline, and no doubt have infected more of our colleagues. We might have lost the whole team, instead of only half.

Yes, the internet means I’m probably working on days where previously I’d have been tucked up on the sofa watching DVDs of The West Wing. But, frankly, I feel better for it.