GWS, LOL, ROFL and the LIKES of it
Come, sit with me. We need to talk about all things Facebook. This week has been a week of people being irritated by each others’ differences.
It all started when someone, possibly a troll, maybe not, posted a sentence in what was supposed to be Maltese. It had no punctuation, and was so misspelt that many of us sitting there did not understand her. What we did understand was the fact that she seemed somewhat irked...okay, furious, that her native Maltese was not the predominant language in The Salott.
What followed was amazing, and so typical of The Salott community. We have become very protective of our virtual room. This space has started new friendships. Soon, we will even be calling ourselves family. And why not? We spend a lot of the day together.
Back to the post and the subsequent replies. For once everyone was on the same page, if you will pardon the pun. This woman, new to The Salott page, dared criticise us. We rallied round and gave her what for. We also told her, not in these exact words that if she wished to make herself understood in Maltese so she could, but we needed to understand her.
Language on Facebook has changed. We have abbreviations that we also use in text messaging- GWS, LOL, ROFL etc. But hers was just so badly mangled. Ideally, she should get her spelling perfected. But this is not a perfect world with ideal spelling. It is, however, a free country, and a free Salott, where opinions are let loose on a daily, nay hourly, basis.
The opinions of this woman were not ones we have not heard before. She wanted the Maltese to write in Maltese. The way I see it, and the way everyone saw it that night, was that we can express ourselves in any language we feel comfortable in. Some express themselves better in English, others in Maltese. Some switch effortlessly and are properly bilingual, whilst others code switch. Many manage all four. This went on for a while, and the woman in question, realising that she was well and truly beaten, for there was nary a word in her favour, retreated into cyberspace, taking her post with her.
Were we to stop discussing? How were the rest of The Salottians to know what had really made us so hot under our profile picture collars? Our Knight in Shining Armour, Duncan Tanti, came to the rescue. He had copied and pasted the thread already. What a wonderful man. He did not even delete the comment where she misspelt his name (along with most of her other words).
Thus a new, improved thread carried us into the night with ‘Buncan’. He advised her (in jest, I take it) not to approach him, after she had called him Buncan for the umpteenth time, but we all carried on regardless. Thanks to you Duncan, we were entertained after she’d done a bunk…or should that be a Banc?!
So, Salott family and friends, should we write our posts in Maltese, as we (most of us anyway) were born Maltese? Do we carry on in English, and remind ourselves that Colonial Rule left us something more useful than barracks by beaches? Or shall we embrace the legacy of bilingualism?
Many spoke Maltese and Italian before British rule - nothing new for the welcoming islanders. Whatever we have been doing in The Salott has worked. It has made us a virtual community. Readers and Salottians, I can nearly see you press an imaginary ‘Like’.
Whilst on the subject of Like buttons, a word of caution. I came across a picture, posted by Keith Zammit, of a car accident. This was taken from another site, yet the question he asked, is one we should ask ourselves. How can anyone press ‘Like’ for something so awful? Is the Like button meant to say “I have seen it”, “I like what I see”, “I approve”, or is it mere habit? Think before you press.
The Post that went viral
“Hi I’m taking my son of two years to a playschool and his teacher keeps telling me that he’s not integrating with other kids and that he doesn’t like joining others in activities he just likes to stay alone. He’s been going to the playschool for three months now but I’m really worried what can I do about it?”
Now that’s phenomenal indeed! The lady who posted the above really attracted a gush of comments on The Salott which explains the true power of the medium, Facebook that is. In a matter of less than an hour she received over a hundred pieces of advice for free, which made me ponder whether she’s any the wiser or more confused now. Here are some of the best comments:
“If the 'teacher' keeps pointing this fact to you, it means she is not happy with the situation. If I were you I would take him to a doctor. Most probably it is nothing, but it will stop you worrying if nothing else and you will be guided on how to deal with the situation. Good luck.”
“Mine was like your son. Once I told her that whenever I see her playing alone in the classroom, I go home crying. So she started to integrate with other children, so mummy won't cry.”
“Sorry to be the 'different' voice here, however, I wouldn't shrug the carers’ advice. Being reserved and independent is not the same thing as not integrating. We need to trust the people taking care of our children and they're supposed to be trained in spotting difficulties and they're there to help us. So rather than taking the 'she doesn't know what she's talking about' approach, why not schedule a meeting with her and see what her concerns truly are. She must be worried if she's said something to you. Then take it from there.”
“Even adults sometimes find it difficult to integrate in a place...alura we go to the doctor??? It’s not the case of psychologist. It’s this bloody fixation that we have to run to the so called experts!!!”