Sad Year...New Revelations

There have been many rumors that Facebook will be deleting the profiles of individuals who have been inactive for some time. The first story to be posted here will be one of my own and will certainly be a reason why social networking sites should never take down the pages of their users without the consent from this person.

On October 21 of 2007, I was living in New York after graduating from Arizona State University and enjoying, not so much, the real world for the first time, i.e. paying bills, working full time and not having anymore fun. Then I received a text message the next morning at around 7 a.m. from one of my best friends with something that no one should ever have to read written on it. In plain site, with no explanation or warning two words popped up. "Seth Died". Seth being one of my closest friends from ASU. I immediately was shocked and didn't believe what I had read. Unfortunately for me and everyone who knew Seth, this was an ultimate low blow and my heart sank when we knew it was true. Seth had died in a car accident the night before while celebrating with some friends, while on his Marine base.

Not even a year later I was packing up and getting ready to make my move from New York to Los Angeles when I received another phone call.  It was a call I'll never forget. I was awoken by my friend Brian's voice as he told me our childhood friend Bob had passed away. Again I didn't know how to react only to surround myself with those that were close to me. 

The thing in both circumstances that I hadn't seen until some weeks later was that these events didn't effect only me, there were plenty of people that both of my friends had cared for whom I had never met, family, friends from home and college and even strangers. In an effort to keep the good name of both Seth and Bob, Facebook memorial pages were set up, and people flooded these walls to contribute amazing stories and memories of these individuals. To this day people will write on Seth and Bob's Facebook pages to tell them how much they are missed and just to wish them well or write a funny memory to keep their spirits alive. Their pages acting almost as an interactive gravesite. It has been a way for me to connect with those who knew each of them but I may never have gotten the chance to meet otherwise, who I now consider lifelong friends. 

This was only two examples of when this has been done, and I know that their are thousands of people who use social networking sites for this reason and would hate to not have this medium to connect with those who have passed on. Even the inactive profiles may serve a purpose.

- Glen