Monday 7 April 2014

Language and Friendship (reblog from 2011)

subtitled The Mad Ramblings of an Elderly Nutter The Cogent Thoughts of a Wise Old Sage.

This is a post I originally published in May 2011 when I had about two and a half readers and as I have now been absent without leave for a week or three (we are fine, just tired. Thank you so much to all those who have been in touch:) I thought this wordy digression might keep folk amused for a second or two. Austin and I hope to be blogging, visiting and commenting again very soon xxx

The hiatus while Blogger was thowing a hissy fit caused me to have a thunk about how we (the cyber generation) have come to rely on the internet in nearly every area of our lives, but especially when it comes to friendship.

Actually I should admit here that I am from the pre-cyber generation, but trying hard to be hip and cool and up with the tekky stuff. When I was young there were just two channels on the telly, which my dad had constructed out of several valves and a cathode ray tube. The screen was tiny - about the size of an iPad but the box it was in, was huge.

As children we played out all day with the other kids in the street. We didn't go home unless we were bleeding really badly. We devised all kinds of games and scams; we were best friends and worst enemies. We went to school together and some of us even went to church together. We did facetime for real. To us the word "virtual" meant "not actually, but nearly".

What about now?

Well, you can be bosom buddies with someone the other side of the world you've never met and never likely to meet - other than in their "not actual" persona. You spend all your leisure time looking at a screen that varies in size from 3" x 4" to 3' x 4'. You talk and write in something called txtspk. IMHO ASAIC it's OMDB. It doesn't WFM, but RBTL WC it's WF TM. Living life in acronyms with "nearly" people..... YSW. Nuff!

So we gather in these "not actually, but nearly" communities which are based on shared interests rather than geographical location. It is global not local. It is virtual, but none the less it is the new reality. And when you get fed up with talking to pixelled faces on a time lag or txtng into the ether, you just press a button and they are no more.

So with the advent of txtspk and the community now global, deconstructed language and reconstructed friendships now inform the world in which we live.

What next do you think? Gruntspeak? It won't be long before the "now" generation will be speaking fluent troglodyte. And then before you know it, thinking will become the universal language. No need to translate as what you think will automatically transmitted through the airwaves and understood by osmosis. It's a terrifying prospect! The thought police will become a living reality and the voicebox will become unnecessary.

Yep, there is a seismic shift in the concept of friendship and the use of language, but maybe it's not all bad when you realise that the term "keeping in touch" now has a whole new exciting dimension to it. Horizons are broadened when the world can now be streamed into your bedroom through your laptop, iPhone or iPad..... and very soon it will just be a chip in your brain. Better there than on your shoulder?

The Art of Communication. My favourite clip from YouTube from the talking cats series.


What was I saying about a rambling nutter?

46 comments:

  1. I loved those cats. The original. This is funny! The kitty speak was adorable. But I love this too.

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  2. That video is hilarious. You are so right as life and things divide us it also unites us. Social media has it's positives and they are the people we meet and the friendships we make. We may never meet but we are always there through thick and thin. Pen friends in a cyber age. Nothing really new just the format has changed. Have a marvellous Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  3. Mommy sez "shades of Minority Report!" But we have made fast friends (with whom we have connected IRL - there's another acronym for you!) so we agree with Molly - pen pals of a new era!

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  4. Mom said back in the day....hehehe she had pen pals from all over the country. She loved getting letters in the mail and sending letters back. She looks upon the internet and the communities as an updated version of that. But, the downside is that for a younger generation this is all they know. They prefer to text to talk. I think that the art of the conversation is lost on them when you whittle down the conversation to 140 characters. Sad really.

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  5. It's a complicated conversation to have in a few words...but we agree, blogging feels like connecting with like minded people with whom you can have relevant yet often light hearted and uplifting exchanges. It is in fact like having pen pals as in days gone by but perhaps lacks the qualitative factor once found in a one on one pen pal exchange. The weird thing though is , as you mentioned, you can lose these connections at whim when people decide to no longer blog, or text or facebook etc. Poof! The exchange is over as if it never actually existed.Maybe that is what makes it virtual...

    the critters in the cottage xo

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  6. dood.......de food serviss gurl heer rememburrs de day oh goin OUTSIDE ta play & callin sum one ona PHONE if they bee livin far far a way ta haza wee CHAT, N writtin a LETTER ta save money ta let de purrson far far a way no what wuz goin on, N makin a friend ore brakin a date with FACE time knot FACE book N bein thrilled ta see a tee vee in COLOR N might az well ad mit....her wuz total lee happee de day de WHEEL wuz invented two.... N bout de onlee acronyms used were CIA & FBI and if ya hurd that...ewe were prob ablee SOL !!

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  7. everything is what you make of it, there isn't anything inherently right or wrong with it, just what you choose to do with it and what you choose to see.. :)

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  8. So we didn’t know what any of those acanyms [sic] stood for. MOL! The USA is certainly going back in time. Kansas is turning back into Dodge City letting people carry unconcealed guns in holsters, etc. TW loves the chirping noises those cats make cos I talk like that also.

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  9. This is one of our favorite you tube clips too! Glad you guys too a quick time out to touch base!
    Marty and Mom

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  10. That is true, I'm sure I now have more online friends than ones I visit :)
    Lynne x

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  11. Well you certainly HAVE been missed but we all know that from time to time we must "unplug" and do the things life demands OR things that keep us sane (relatively). When you feel like blogging you should blog...when not - well - NOT! Just know you'll always have us as friends and we think about you all the time.

    Big Hugs, Sam and Pam

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  12. There are definitely good and bad things about the virtual world

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  13. Video is hilarious :-) You take it easy and come back when ready xxx

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  14. Video is hilarious :-) You take it easy and come back when ready xxx

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  15. That is a great video and we had to smile at the "chats"!
    Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx

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  16. That videeohhh is crack up funny!
    You have been missed Austin. And Staff too.. :)

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  17. OMC…what an adorable and clever video. Our pawrents have that telepathy thing going on after 41 years of being married. The computer has broadened our horizons and allowed us to have friends all over the world, but unfortunately it has caused the current generation to expect immediate fulfillment of all they desire. They don't have to wait weeks for a return letter from the penpal in another country. Our mommy must be even older than yours 'cause she still doesn't understand most of the alphabet "soup" that the kids use. Case in point, she has no idea what you were saying in your post with all those letters. The one she used at the beginning if the comment is about the only one she knows. Mommy has so many posts from when she had exactly on reader that she should recycle. Some ARE actually good. We'll look forward to seeing more posts when y'all are feeling up to it. So enjoyed reading this. XO, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo

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  18. I love the video and I remember it from back when Bambi was still with me and I miss her so!! Miss Happy too!!
    The video is so cute!!
    I am from the time when we hardly ever even talked on the phone!!!!!
    I have missed you guys tho!!!

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  19. We've missed you, Austin and Mom!
    The video gave us a really good laugh!

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  20. Glad to see you back Austin, I missed you. Mum remembers playing in the street with her friends when she was knee high to a grasshopper, then when she was a bit bigger they all went down the woods and built dens. Next door neighbour was the first in the street to get a TV and everyone piled in to watch it. OMC! She must be ancient! They were good safe times.

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  21. Love the video, that is terrific! Thinking of you and hoping that all is alright with you.

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  22. Really enjoyed this, and your perspective!

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  23. Love the video, we too have made so many friends. We have missed you and look forward to you coming back. Big Hugs xxxxoxxxx

    Mollie and Alfie

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  24. Love this video, it's one of my all-time favorites.
    I agree with a lot of what you said. I have to say, though, blogging has been a life-saver for me. Once in a while I either get to meet fellow bloggers, or have phone conversations with them, and it's wonderful. Since I work from home I crave human contact. So the internet is a mixed blessing - it is contact of a sort, but nothing beats a "real" face-to-face encounter.

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  25. I so LOVE that movie! One of my faves, for sure.

    Purrs,
    Nissy

    PS. Ummm... I have to ask. How exactly do you get HALF a reader?

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  26. We understand about ya takin a bacashun frum bloggin Austin n furamily...sumtimez Life iz bery buzy n sumtimez bloggin n bizitin iz hard werk..
    We wishez all of ya well n enjoyed da bloggie n WE lub da video....
    MEOW! MIOW!!
    Lub Nylablue =^,,^=

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  27. Love that video, it's great. We completely understand. We can only visit our online friends about two times a week because it takes such a long time and with the kiddos, cats and pig, it takes too much time away! There are good things and bad things and finding a suitable balance is tough. We are always right here when you come back!

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  28. That's such a terrific funny video.
    I love meeting so many people through blogging, but it's hard to find the time to visit all the cool and interesting cats and their peeps.
    Hope everyone is healthy and getting a good rest there!
    Maggie

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  29. Did you just take a brake or was there a problem???
    Glad you are back!!

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  30. Hiya Austin! So nice to see you back at it! ...that video by the way is Glogirly's all time FAVE.

    I hope you and the staff are ok and doing well.
    xoxo,
    Glogirly, Katie & the Orange One

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  31. Fantastic post and we enjoy the reflective aspect of it. All of it is so true and could be discussed for hours on end! I find another interesting phenomenon is the loss of the ability to write. Everything is done on a keyboard and cursive writing is becoming extinct.

    I know for me, when I actually do use a pen and paper, sometimes the act seems foreign and my handwriting has changed.

    Anyhow, take care and see you soon!!

    Purrs from the Zee and Zoey Gang!

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  32. You sure wonder how we survived without smartphones and compooters :)
    But we did !
    Both me and my mom-person LOVE that video ♡
    XOXO

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  33. Hey there Austin! When you get a mo, please stop on by my blog. There's a special little somethin' waitin' for you there.

    Purrs,
    Nissy

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  34. Good to see you are OK and glad you posted. We are back from our holiday and hope to start blog visiting soon.

    Get some rest, you are appreciated and everyone knows a break is often a welcome way to recharge batteries~

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  35. I thought there might be a problem--so sorry!!
    You take care of yourself now!

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  36. Bwaa!!! Haa!!! Haaa!!! Snort!!!
    Tee! Hee!!!
    And extra SMACKY KISSES
    Nellie

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  37. LOVE the kitties--no matter how many times I have seen it, I smile every time ;-) My Human and yours are in the same generation I think, Austin my friend--I call it the "older than dirt" generation, ha ha meow! But frankly I am going to be 10 soon myself so the Human says I should be careful who I am calling names.

    We are sorry we haven't been around so much ourselves but we always count you amongst our real-virtual friends! Hope you have a good Easter! XOXOXOX

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  38. Miss you and hope everyone is on the mend. We're madly prepping for Blogpaws and not commenting much.

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  39. It's great to be able to find people with shared interests so easily on the internet.
    I hope you had a good holiday weekend!

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  40. Mum says they only gotted ONE TV channel when she was growing up! Can you imagine that now? But we think technology good because we've 'met' so many nice people. And we get to see things like that cool talking cat video! LOVE IT!!!

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  41. Austin buddy, you and Miss Caro are faves, even if we aren't always commenting, we read. And when you can give an update that will be great. Hope your family member is better. Paw hugs, Savannah and Mom Linda

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  42. What a prescient post from 2011. I'm feeling nostalgic for days when friends actually dropped by in person for a coffee instead of scheduling a phone call!

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  43. It's a new and interesting world we live in! I have SO many good friends who I'll probably never meet. But i do miss the "good old days". Loved the post - especially the comment about not going home unless you were bleeding badly.

    Hope you're doing okay on your bloggy break. Taking one myself, except for today's post. Thanks for stopping by, btw, and for the nice words.

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  44. That video crack me up every time.
    My mom know best about the word " tired "
    so Have a lovely break and...
    Mr. Poo have a good relaxing time with your mommy..
    And thanks for purrs for me

    Miss you lots !!!
    xoxo

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  45. Hi Austin Buddy! Sorry we have been so scarce--but then your Human has been a little pokey about helping you post, too ;-) As soon as the school year ends, I hope she'll help me more. We need to go down to the local for a brewski soon and catch up!

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