When I was 10 I went to my nan’s funeral and stayed up all night with my uncle Mike watching naked American women on television. Grief hits people in different ways.
Perhaps if my nan died now I would take advantage of the latest social networking site – Respectance. Founded by entrepreneur Tom Wilkinson and Kazaa man Richard Derks, the site allows grievers to write tributes and memories, share photos and videos, and build and join various groups.
A quick tour of the site shows-up tributes to the usual crowd – Kurt Cobain, Bob Marley, Elvis Presley (of whom one writer adds – amazing man, especially in Las Vegas), with length
y biographies – as well as more touching and personal memories from recently bereaved families and friends. Side-by-side all these are a whole group of dead dogs wearing sunglasses or superman costumes with tributes such as, ‘Sparky LoLo was a great pup’.
Only in death, and on the worldwide web, does it seem are we all truly equal.
The site is not accepting advertising but charges $1 for each funeral video. People video funerals? I’m only glad my nan died when she did.
