Should I create a Facebook page for my dad?

[Troy]

Should I create a Facebook page for my dad? My dad passed in 1979 and without getting into all the details, suffice it to say that I did not know him very well.

The profile would be a place where I can post some of his old super videos, a few photos, and some biographical information. Others could post info too.

My thinking is that one it would be not a memorial, but an interactive archive of sorts.

I might even learn more about my dad from the potential contribution of people I don't even know.

If Facebook (or the internet lasts) my children's children could learn about their ancestor. Ancestry.com provides a similar service but it is not as accessible or feature rich as Facebook.

There was an article in Newsweek that spoke about Facebook's decision to allow profiles of deceased people to persist in perpetuity. This is what gave me the idea. Plus I found it beneficial to read the posts of my Facebook friends that have passed.

My dad is buried about 70 miles from where I live and half way across the country from where he was born and raised. I know I'm the only one who has visited the site more that once.

[Thumper]

Hello All,

Troy: I would say "yes". Go ahead and build the page. It's a wonderful idea.

[Cynique]

i say yes, too, Troy. I am at the age where I'm getting my affairs in order, currently debating whether or not I want to be cremated and have my ashes scattered. But now that I've learned about this facebook memorial feature, I kind of like the idea of being immortalized in the perpetuity of cyberspace,- of being frozen in time.

I think your Dad would appreciate this kind of tribute from his son. What better way to show your gratitude for the genes that surely had something to do with your being where you are today.

[Troy]

Off-line someone said they thought the idea was morbid, kinda creepy. They thought someone would discover the profile and think the person came back from the dead or get weirded out.

I know people are pretty superstitious regarding the departed.

But since Thumper and Cynique like the idea -- it can't be all that bad.

Thought I've never heard of anyone doing this; I'd be surprised if I'm not the first person to do it

Thanks for the feedback.

[Troy]

Cynique, I'm gonna request the cremation/ashes route myself. I think it is cheaper, besides after 50 years no one is gonna visit the grave site. In a 100 years, no one will even know it ever existed. If anyone felt that strongly about it after I'm gone and wanted a physical memorial -- they can knock themselves out. Either way, I won't know the difference.

Hopefully my legacy will be more that a plaque or stone in the ground.