h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Bernadette mentioned something a while back, and something just reminded me.

h2g2 is a community. The people on it are real, and part of its appeal is meeting with and getting to know those people. We've already had marriages (although not brought together on h2g2, I know of two researchers who have recently wed); We'll have births (there are something like five researchers who are all expecting in October); and we'll have deaths.

So if we're doing our job properly, and providing the tools you need to build this as a real community, one of those tools will be an obituaries page.

Somehow, I'm not looking forward to deploying that part of the site.

If an obituaries page is seen as a way of celebrating the life of an individual, focussing on the good he or she added to the world, then it could be something to look forward to.
I know that's particularly difficult when a death has claimed someone who never had a chance to really live, for example, but the fact that s/he lived at all and leaves memories has usually been a source of joy to someone. An interactive obituaries page can offer some comfort and sharing of grief in such cases, and lots more besides.

As opposed to the sadness of that kind of work, and as a helper if you guys feel that you don't have much to do at TDV, why not put out an anouncementpage for birthdays and births too?

I remember seeing something on the TV about online graveyards. It was something about creating an ongoing database of existences - a bit like keeping people alive by maintaining the pages they used to present themselves to the online community. It seems to me that if H2G2 is going to achieve what it set out to do (I assume, not having really seen the vision and goals) then keeping on line memories of people no longer present on our plane of existence could be part of that. So, obituaries would be part of that, indeed peoples' memories of someone at that time would be an important part, but so would any other contribution they have made.

Just an idea.

I don't know if an obituary page is even practical. I know if I were to die tomorrow, h2g2 wouldn't hear about it. But it you were to keep my page up after I stopped submitting friends and family could see what I wrote, what I thought was important, what I cared enough about to let the world see.

I'd say don't worry about an obituary page. It would be incomplete at best. Just find space on h2g2's hard drive to keep their pages alive.

I had a similar thought. If we died would our friends/family think to say to the web people? My parents wouldn't even think to send to email people. How can we get round this one?

I don't know, maybe put it into your will

I mean really h2g2 doesn't need to know that I died, but it would be nice if, for instance, Monsy was notified so that she would know why I don't show up on ICQ anymore. But I don't really want to have any more people than is absolutely necessary saddened by my death. I mean it happens.

My mother looks in the obituaries in the paper every day for about 10 years now looking for old friends that have passed on. I don't understand that. It is like she is looking for pain. Maybe this is just me though.

It's odd you should say that. My mother has made a point of looking at the obituaries daily for years. When I was younger, I assumed that it was a morbid fascination, or that she was looking for names she knew. As I've grown older and gotten to know her a bit better as a person (as opposed to her role as my mother), I've come to realize that she does it out of a fear that someone out there might die unnoticed and forgotten. I think it's her way of noticing.

*dredges the journal up again*

If it's someone you've lost touch with, but lived locally, you might want to go to the funeral/memorial service, and if you didn't check the obits, you would miss it.

As far as hootoo is concerned, I don't know how many researcher deaths have occurred since the inception of the place - DNA, of course, but almost a year ago, Tuc Fortunswell also died, killed in a motorcycle accident. His brother and sister have been keeping his page updated.

Hi Lady Scott *waves* long while since I waved to you.
Hope you are well.

This idea got started.
I have lost the link to the obituary or memorial page(s)
If anybody knows it please and thank you for leaving a link.

I am not sure if these names are there.

Nuegen- her main delight was h2 and the smileys(2005?)

Barton - Richenda recently posted he had passed. (2006)

Empty Sky(known by other names previous to his last one)(2004?)

I feel awful knowing I am forgetting people I've known here
I think I will remember more.

It would be a good thing to have a remembrance page. Nobody should pass on unnoticed, especially not in a community like this one.

Galaxy Babe's dad, Frank (who was also a researcher) died today.

Hold on, I'll try to find a link to his space.

GB's dad:

frankvi2000 U901357


Entries written by him:

A3970389 'Stewpot's' Junior Choice

A3288512 History of the Normandy Veterans Association (This one is in the edited guide)