Respectance.com

Good Work Richard!

Richard Derks online memorial

Richard gave a great interview last week for nu.nl, a leading Dutch news site, outlining the successes to date of Respectance.com.

He spoke of the the things we’ve learned in the last year, and of the things we hope to accomplish in the future. He also talked about online tributes and memorials, and how they are becoming a popular way to mourn people’s deaths, and how they create a rally point for support.

We’ve had our fair share of challenges trying to break down old taboos about death and dying, and helping them to understand how new traditions can be started using existing online communities. But we look forward to launching in Dutch, and several other languages, this month.

Gefeliciteerd Richard on the great interview!

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Posted by Todd Wilkinson

3 Sep

7 Responses

  1. Comment by Lori at 11:38 pm, September 3rd, 2008

    I enjoy what Respectance has to offer. I created a tribute for my grandmother which I’m able to share with my relatives and gather personal memories. Its a great way to honor a loved one.

    Congrats Respectance

  2. Comment by Vlad Drac at 2:06 am, September 4th, 2008

    If, after you die, a tribute is not created for you, either you were not popular or you didn’t have friends

    Well done Richard! Couldn’t it be people are just not interested in online memorials. That they just prefer to remember their loved ones in their hearts, thoughts, diaries etc
    Who are you to tell them they are unpopular.

  3. Comment by Ank VanIngen at 5:15 am, September 6th, 2008

    Wonderful job Richard. Keep up the great work at Respectance.

  4. Comment by richard at 4:59 pm, September 7th, 2008

    Thanks people. For Vlad, you always need to put things in extreme to make your point. At the same time, I really do believe that online memorials will be socially and totally accepted by society.

    My grandma died a year ago, exactly last weekend. It was a pleasure to go to the tribute my mum had created one year ago: the place is still valid and stores all our memories. I would not know what else could have brought me this concrete memory.

    I remember that when I had my first mobile phone for work, I felt ashamed. Family and friends thought I was trying to look important and most of them swore never to have such a phone, because they wanted privacy etc. Look now what has happened. Even little children have their own phone and mummy is even angry if the little one does not answer immediately when she calls in to check.

    Just to give you an idea how sometimes socially unacceptable things will be embraced as there were never opposition.

    ;-)
    Richard

  5. Comment by Joshua at 3:48 am, September 9th, 2008

    People are instinctively resistant to change Richard. They will come around though. Your site is fantastic. I have a tribute to my friend that died and it’s been real helpful for me.

  6. Comment by wies kroes at 8:23 pm, September 10th, 2008

    Thanks, Richard, for having my Mam still “alive”. When I mis her, I go to her site and when I see her video`s,it`s helping me trough my sadness.

  7. Comment by Lisette at 9:30 pm, September 11th, 2008

    Richard and Todd, Your site is fantastic and like wies says: When sad,look at mam’s tribute and you feel a lot better!

    Lisette

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