We’re just back from Naples, and enjoyed our time looking at all the presepe figures. The little video below is about the mechanical moving figures, some of which are pretty darn clever. So, I hope you have your presepe, nativity scene, crib, or crèche set up by now—and maybe you have one of these moving figures:

Yes, that’s right.  The incident in which Silvio Berlusconi was clobbered with a statuette in the middle of his heartland, Milan, the other day has nothing to do with perceptions that he has been creating laws for himself, or with rumors that he is in the mafia.

Oh no.  It’s all to do with Facebook, that dastardly social networking site which millions of Italians have taken to in droves.  Within this free service Italians have been able, possibly for the first time in Italy’s history, say what they wanted.

Many did do just that, and a few went over the top in setting up ‘Kill Silvio’ pages within Facebook.   Italians though, are not averse to ‘going over the top’.   One Italian in particular held a rather ‘over the top’ party in Sardinia, I seem to remember.

While we are at it, there is Twitter too.  Twitter is even more insidious than Facebook as it permits mass communication in the blink of an eye – I know, I use it.  Very difficult to control such instantaneous communication.

Such freedom of communication is unheard of to Italians who have had to lap up what manipulated news channels have force fed them for many years.  For some reason Italians seem to use the television as a primary news source.

With the introduction of the internet, the establishment in Italy is terrified by the control it has lost, and will continue to lose -if something is not done, and as soon as possible.  An attempt has already been made and Facebook was contacted over the various pages set up by people lauding Berlusconi’s attacker’s action.

Facebook has removed the offending Facebook page, and another fake page which gave the impression that around 400,000 people had signed up in support of Berlusconi – when in actual fact they had not.  Some clever type had renamed an older Facebook group which already had lots of members.  I wrote about this the other day here:  Fake Silvio Berlusconi Facebook Page

But Facebook refuses to commit itself to actions which it feels may undermine human rights and freedom of speech.  This is a big problem for Italy’s politicians.

So, what else will Berlusconi’s supporters do about Facebook and Twitter?

Facebook and Twitter to be Banned in Italy

Actually, this is easy.  Facebook and Twitter will be banned in Italy.  In their place new Italian versions of the same will be set up, one will be called FaceItalia and the other called Itter, or something like that.

Joining FaceItalia and Itter

Joining the new FaceItalia social network will be a simple three step, or so, process:

One:

Simply send your Italian passport, driving licence, identity card, fiscal code card, bank account details, curriculum vitae, PDL membership card, and one recent uiltilities bill, to an address in Rome – by registered mail, of course.  Copies will not be accepted.

Two:

Within 3 months, or so, applicants will be notified by post whether their application has been accepted or rejected, and, if they are lucky all their documentation will be returned too.   Those rejected will have four weeks in which to join an appropriate political party, and re-apply.

Three:

If an application is accepted, then to actually join FaceItalia, users will have to go online, fill out the registration form, and a password will be sent to their PEC certified electronic mail address.  I forgot to mention,  only those with PEC addresses will be able to apply in the first place – although this is only mentioned once applications have been accepted.

Using FaceItalia

Once registered, users will be able to form groups and post messages by fax.  However all messages will be moderated, and it might take up to seven days for status updates to appear within users’ profiles.  Those who say nice things about everyone (except Fini) in Berlusconi’s government will be given priority.

One Strike and You Are Out

A one strike and you are out system will be employed – if users say one wrong thing, they will be banned from FaceItalia for life, and men in dark sunglasses smelling heavily of aftershave with wires coming from their ears may turn up at users’ houses and take them away to ask them a few questions.  Survivors will be released, although they may need help walking.

From Twitter to Itter

For Itter, the new Italian only equivalent of Twitter, the application process will be very similar, but all applicants must include copies of mobile phone company contracts.  Pay as you go contract holders will be unable to apply for security reasons.  If someone is left handed, they should not even think about applying.

Once registered as a user, Twitter type updates will be possible via fax, but all will be moderated and this may introduce a delay of up to 48 hours, or so.

Democracy in Italy Saved

As a result of the introduction of these new all-Italian social networking services, democracy in Italy will be safe.  Left handed people, on the other hand, should feel a teensy weensy bit disconcerted.

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For those of you who just have to know which figure the artistic folks of Naples’ Via San Gregorio Armeno have selected for 2009—he’s over there to the right. Michael Jackson.

Yes, we’ve just spent the last few hours walking the streets of Naples, talking with the artists who produce the best of the figurines for your holiday presepe or nativity scene. We’ll have a picture gallery soon. But I know many of you who will want to see a sneak preview of one of the current faves on the famous people shelves of the not-without-a-political-sense-of-humor artisans that line the famous street of nativity scene figurines in Naples, the Via San Gregorio Armeno.

Once the miniature duomos start crashing into skulls, it doesn’t take much longer for the presepe folks to document the act than it does for those newfangled digital news photographers, as you can see by the picture on the left.

Click the presepe figures picture to see them in all their gruesome detail.

There is a scandal rustling the vines lining the charming vineyards of Tuscany -and what is a mere breeze at present may become a storm once more people discover that around 10 million litres of Tuscan wine have been adulterated.

Wines which have been adulterated are the Chianti, Toscana IGT, Brunello di Montalcino, and Rosso di Montalcino varieties.

In other words, Italian wine customers are not getting what they pay for.  The net result is that the image of Italian wine the world over will be damaged – perhaps irreparably.  Sales will fall.

What a huge shame.

Short Term Tuscans

Some Tuscan wine producers were thinking about lining their pockets in the short term.  They did not give a damn about the potential consequences to the wine industry in Italy which would result from the discovery of their sharp business practices.

Honest Italian wine producers from other Italian regions will not be at all happy with their counterparts in Tuscany.

Eric Asimov of ‘The Pour’, the New York Times wine column, has reported on the situation – and in his More Accusations of Fraud in Italy article, he gives the impression that he does not expect Italy will do enough to extricate itself from the mess.

Another noted wine expert, Italian American Alfonso Cevola of the wine blog On the Wine Trail thinks the situation is a mess.  Indeed, it was via Cevola’s informative tweets on Twitter that I heard about this disastrous situation.

Do Buy Italy Wine!

Before you go ‘Right, I’m not buying any more Italian wine’ – stop and think.  Not all Italian wine comes from Tuscany, and not all of Tuscany’s wine producers have been trying to pull a fast one on their customers either.

Try Italian wines from other regions

Use this as a good excuse to try Italian wines from other regions – Sicily and Puglia/Apulia, for example, especially if you like a full bodied wines.

Italian wine is very good – there really should be no need to resort to skulduggery to sell a few more bottles – better, more coordinated, marketing would achieve the same effect and over a longer and more productive term too.

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After the attack on Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi yesterday, a number of Facebook pages sprang into life.  Some Facebook pages praised the actions of Tartaglia, Berlusconi’s assailant, whereas others supported Berlusconi, and one seems to be fake.

I became curious when I noticed the names of a few people I knew listed as Berlusconi ‘fans’ on Facebook.  Odd, I thought.  As far as I knew, the people listed were not huge fans of Italy’s tanned supremo, to say the least.

In actual fact, the Sosteniamo SILVIO BERLUSCONI contro i FAN di massimo tartaglia page on Facebook- which has over 380,000 fans, is a re-hash of an existing page, or so I have been advised by one ‘fan’ who isn’t.

Upon hearing this, I asked some more questions – ironically, via the Facebook messaging system.

After Digging

As a result of digging further, I discovered that what had happened is that someone, somehow renamed a Facebook page to give the impression that Berlusconi has more fans in Italy than perhaps he does.

This fake Facebook page has attracted more members this morning, and judging by some of the comments, many of the new members are genuine Berlusconi fans.

This is the Facebook page in question:

Sosteniamo SILVIO BERLUSCONI contro i FAN di massimo tartaglia – Translated: Let’s support Silvio Berlusconi against Massimo Tartaglia’s fans  (Tartaglia = the man who attacked Berlusconi).

Is Facebook Sailing Towards Trouble?

It is a good idea to be careful when using Facebook.  As this incident shows, you may end up being tarred with a brush which you did not want to be tarred with.

Friends may lose their trust in you, and potential employers may decide that there are better people for the job.

Web 2.0 is fantastic – but it can be exploited.  The Facebook people need to bear this in mind – otherwise Facebook could well end up being closed down as a result of huge lawsuits or by droves who leave the social network in search of safer pastures.

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