the Facebook obituary

I've lost a few people in my life recently. Well, over the past year or so. I found out that a guy i knew (very briefly) had passed away last week. I actually went onto facebook to find a pic of this person, as I was told by a mutual friend that I had met him, but for the life of me I couldn't remember him.

What struck me as different - not bad or even strange, is that in this digitally connected age, facebook is providing a unique service. I checked this persons page and found that the page, while still being active, had actually become a type of living obituary for him. Mates were posting condolences for the family and reminiscing on good times that they had shared. I found the pics that I was looking for. He was vaugely familiar, I know that I had met him while I was stationed in Kuwait and he was passing through, but I still don't recognise fully him even from the photos.

It also happened last year. A brother of a couple of mates of mine passed away in a motorbike accident and his facebook page lived on, people posting how much they will miss him and how he made their lives brighter.

Another example was my cousin that passed, also a motorbike accident. He lives on through his partners facebook page, everyone who knew him keeps his memories alive with photos and stories. I find it very heartening and, i guess, a re-affirmation of my faith in the human race to be able to love and remember the ones they love while living in this physically disconnected age.

As to the relevance to EVE? Absolutley none. mofo. Deal.