With constant connectivity and ubiquitous communications tech impacting all aspects of life, I suppose it’s no surprise that the digital age is spilling over into death as well.
This week, a start-up company out of Venice, Italy, is debuting its idea for RipCemetery, a multi-platform social media community that will work as a sort of virtual cemetery for dearly departed people and pets. The basic idea is to provide a private online space for participants to share memories — messages, photos and videos — in a private environment.
The idea of virtual remembrance isn’t new — modern mourning rituals are necessarily incorporating social media and new technology all the time. But for the creator of RipCemetery, there was a conspicuous absence of any appropriate social network for grieving.
“I developed the RipCemetery as a way for mourners to share memories online, build out a support network and connect with people all over the world,” writes company founder Jacapo Vitali in the project press materials. “It’s a new way to help everyone who is dealing with loss.”
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RipCemetery will be available on all desktop and mobile platforms and allow participants to create a “virtual family tomb” for people and pets. Visitors can add written notes, photos and videos — even virtual flowers. Adjustable privacy settings are designed to allow families to determine who can participate.
The service itself will be free, according to the FAQ page, with certain types of virtual flowers, objects and other upgrades that can be purchased. You can get more details at the project’s Indiegogo page.
[H/T: Discovery News]
