Melancholy musings . . .
Last night I was on the computer, and in the Yahoo section where they show people who are on line, Sharon's ID came up. It was marked Idle, which was amusingly sad. Maybe her husband had logged on to her account for something.
How tricky to tie up someone's online life after they depart. Her medical blog is still up, including her last entry that ends with "More to come." Is there a way to download someone's blog from Wordpress? It covers her last year, with the details of what happened, and I imagine her husband may think it surreal to leave it up. If there isn't, I'm content to copy each entry.
Anne McCaffrey wrote a story a couple of decades ago, about a computer class in a school where students go through the network and purging decades-old accounts and information. There are people on my LJ friends list who have died. It's odd to look at old entries and see their posts. But I guess it's just like reading letters from people who are gone.
We had a friend die in a motorcycle accident at the beginning of last month. I'm guessing no one knows the pw to his facebook page. Mostly people have been using it as kind of an online gravesite. People visit it every once in a while and pay their respects.
I find it fascinating. It's a much better way to feel connected to someone who has passed as well. Right in front of you are their photos, daily thoughts, links etc. that are a much better representation of them than a stone in a field. Plus, you can visit a web page from anywhere.
I know people can get all grossed out by the way technology has changed things, but I'm one of those "Oh, brave new world.." types.
This (long) article is very timely, about online afterlifes: [link]
Daisy, just FYI, any friend of the deceased can notify Facebook via an online form and they'll "memorialize" the account (after confirming the death). I'm not completely sure I recommend it - it stops people getting those "reconnect with X" notices that can be upsetting, but it also deletes all the old statuses (to protect the deceased's privacy) and just leaves everyone else's comments. So you'd still have the memories and thoughts people are leaving now, but as you scroll through time to when they were alive, no statuses. It's kind of weird.
Yeah, I'd want Chris's statuses and posts to stay there, but I'm not really anyone who would be making that decision.
Happy anniversary, Pix and ND! Wishing you many more!
Happy anniversary, Pix and ND! ND and Pix!
After M's brother died, I was surprised to feel upset when someone deleted his Facebook page. I assume it was one of his friends or possibly his girlfriend, and of course I'm sure the impulse was a kind and thoughtful one, intended to spare people pain. I don't mean to second-guess the decision, only to note that it made me sad to no longer be able to see a reminder of his presence online. It's strange what you miss.
Yeah, I feel like deleting it would be sorta weird too. But I could also see how the reminders would be painful. I think I'd probably lean to the "leave it up and tell people to "hide" it if they don't want to see it"
I remember that Anne McCaffrey story! Now I kind of want to re-read it.
