A Problematic Perspective on FB

BY PILO ZYBA

In recent years, modern technology—I am talking about computer technology, but in this specific case, the social network of FB. This technology came to us at an opportune time, given the massive emigrations all over the world. Skype, Messenger, Twitter, FB… etc. All these social networks came to our aid to unite, coordinate, and help people anywhere in the world. But besides this, wittingly or unwittingly, they also create unwanted side effects and secondary problems, which could not be avoided for the time being, because everything comes at the right time, compelled by conditions and circumstances.

We Albanians, who had not really ventured out into the civilized world, took this window as a large screen to present ourselves, our intellectual, artistic, and photographic values, etc.

Here in London where I live, the English themselves are generally represented very little on these networks… and where they are represented, they have put up a name, a photo of themselves, or not of themselves, simply to create a connection with the people they love, but also for their private interests. They are detached from massive exposure in the realms of the internet… they do these things carefully and in a cautious manner. In fact, for some time now in London, a government directive has been issued that pays students to search for manipulations or illegal actions by individuals and groups on the internet. Why does this happen in the West, and why do we rush to show up everywhere and in the most vulgar ways? It is surprising, but the internet has been put to human use… even to order a pizza or two Coca-Colas from a shop, the telephone is no longer used, but the internet. Even a car wash has its own blog and page, where interested people write, book a slot to wash their car, or choose the car wash according to their needs… so, the consolidation, the grouping of group interests for their individual and social purposes has been done. For a long time, I have never knocked on an office door to have a problem reviewed; instead, many times I have received all services via the internet with government offices, or they have scheduled an appointment day for a clearer explanation. All public street phones have special toll-free numbers where one can officially communicate about any problems anyone has. So, everything is in the interest of time, to serve people. From home, through the internet, a person controls themselves, the path they choose to review an issue they have in progress and seek a solution for.

At all bus centers, train stations, and subways, electronic boards show the time for every circulating bus, so everyone can calculate their time for work, shopping, or even a stroll…

Likewise, for us Albanian speakers anywhere in the world, the internet created a bridge of unity, acquaintance, and organization for many purposes and in many directions. Be they social, familial, or national. But alongside these benefits from the opening of this global window, phenomena were also noticed which, even after so many years, continue to be thorns in the side of society.

And in this case, I will focus on the social network of FB.

We Albanians, eager to see the world since this had been cut off from us, found this window as the great opportunity to show ourselves, our careers, and the values of our work or talent. The social network became the place where we displayed and still display everything: our art, beliefs, culture, language, and our demands in several fields. All artists of all fields were the ones who primarily fought to unfold their values, and among them the contradictions regarding these values. So, FB took the place of a social organ, like a newspaper or a magazine, rather than for the other services that are more essential… such as friendly, intellectual, and social connection.

At first, many individual pages appeared, then collective ones, which created a sort of grouping in everyone’s respective fields. And finally, this is being pushed, specified, and divided into private or collective blogs, and further into those of the free press like internet newspapers or various magazines. But a phenomenon is noticed: lately, the influx into social networks is very large; those who have had FB since 3–4 years ago no longer really like the actions they took 4 years ago, and this is normal, as their demands are growing, but they have also gained experience and are looking for something new. Meanwhile, the second group that entered later seeks recognition and promotion to catch up with the first group. These contradictions now clash with each other because the demands of one or more groups have different directions and goals… and they have started to get in each other’s way.

Someone posts a poem and tags 150 people in their social circle; are they to be judged?

Today I know poets—since I am taking this field that I know well—who, for two years, went by a different name, published, and commented on friends and other artists in this field. They did not appear under their own name for many reasons: some hesitate, some lack confidence in their values, some due to their circumstances. Now that they have published one or two books, they feel better, more liberated, and their art has become better known… this is thanks to FB as a help to them, but also to everyone in general. Now even they themselves consider one comment, or 100 comments, to be excessive, because they prefer to receive a more specialized opinion from more competent people.

But should someone be judged who, in their social circle, places a tag or sends their works privately to friends one by one to be read in order to get an opinion?

I think, NO!

But opinions are also relative, because making a tag, sending something to be read while waiting for an opinion, is not an obligation, since the internet window has provided for all formats, methods, and conditions. Just because someone tags you does not mean you absolutely have to comment and give an opinion, because a tag, to me, is simply drawing attention to what he or she has written. And if someone does not receive a reply from this tag, it does not mean they should feel insulted, because everyone’s time is their own, and their choices are their own; a person in this world can never manage to do everything, in any field, they choose according to their taste, values, and the demands they have.

Even worse is when factions are created in these fields, which damage the fields of others and their activity by stealing their passwords and putting their FB pages out of commission. A bad, but also harmful phenomenon, is the harassment directed at individuals, mostly women. This is unforgivable, when the other person offers you the hand of friendship without knowing you, and you turn out not to be a sincere person and a good brother.

But as we can see, even the beautiful tree of FB has rotten fruit within it, and this seems perfectly normal to me, until everyone takes their rightful place at the right time.

I have published on my blogs more than 200 artists in poetry, stories, painting, but also in other fields, such as interviews and private works… lately, without anyone tagging me, without having them as friends, I have published poems by Ganimete Jashari, Beli Gagica, Laureta Sahitaj, Muhamet Luma, Luan Mema, and many, many others…

Then where lies the mistake and the misunderstanding?

I think that:

On this important topic and these problems, I also wrote three years ago; at that time it was the beginning and these things were less troubling, but although three years have passed, the situation has still not taken its professional and proper direction.

The time has come for things to be perfected on FB, and for everything to go into its own drawer, to take on its own values. Making creativity public is necessary for people, but never mandatory for them.

It must be understood that on FB too, but also beyond it, there are special places for the public for the specific values of individuals. These are the collective pages, after the individual ones, the blogs, and then the newspapers that are increasing more and more every day.

There is much more to be said on this topic, but I am thinking of and expressing some concerns, which should be taken into consideration in our internet relationships.

Why do I say this?

Around a group on FB or in a newspaper, the most talented go, the most interested in this field, be it painting, business, art – culture. And in this group where they communicate, write, and publish, the artistic opinion on the art they publish also becomes more specific and takes on clearer values.

And to speak more clearly, today on the internet network we have newspapers that work noticeably and are very productive in their work. I can convey here my opinion on several newspapers around which dozens and hundreds of intellectuals have gathered who publish their artistic-scientific values. Now these newspapers are serving as major centers of national values. Gazeta Kritika, Fjala e Lirë, Gazeta Albemigrant, Zemra Shqiptare, Penëartë, etc., have turned into full and foundational connections of the League of Writers and Artists of all Albanian-speaking regions anywhere in the world, and this is an irreplaceable national value.

I am of the opinion that things must be selected, as the time has come. A goat has no reason to stay in a flock of sheep, because it stands out. Therefore, in that flock, a powerful ram must be placed in every case to lead the herd, and all together under one name, under one newspaper, under one blog, under one collective page, work should be done for true values, and no longer for a few tags, or a few beautiful words that, where they are thrown into the stormy sea, get lost in the depths of the ocean of thought and values.

In all cases and times there will be contradictions on all paths of moving forward, as the fields are unknown, and they change every day, but we must carefully harvest good fruit from the tree of social networks, and plant in them understanding, culture, and social unity, which in our conditions as a nation today is more essential than ever…