Just read that Jeff Taylor, founder of Monster.com has decided to move into the obituary business. As a further assault on the revenues of classified newspapers, he has launched Tributes.com, and so it would seem that nothing, not even death is sacred to newspapers quest for survival.
The website will be in competition with the likes of Legacy.com and will make its money from selling ads, flowers and other such paraphernalia. Its a rather morbid topic but with families being scattered around the globe, the ability to pay your respects and show your loved ones how much they have meant to you, must mean, the reach of the Internet is the perfect and inevitable vehicle.
Not too sure if its an area that the UK online newspaper industry have developed sufficiently yet. Although I have to say, making money out of peoples grief at a time when rationale thinking is scarce, has always sat uneasily with me. I do hope the rates are reasonable.
"pay your respects and show your loved ones how much they have meant to you," hmmmm - now perhaps I'll upset some / many different religions in one fell swoop without even trying but here goes all the same:
The person's dead!! - they ain't gonna have a clue what you're spending on them in some "making you feel better" tokenistic gesture. And even if they are watching from above (or below) then one would hope that they are in such a better place that they'll see such hollow gestures as just that / have more pressing things on their mind (like eternal damnation to get their head around).
So here's my tip - if someone means that much to you tell them now. What the hell, send them flowers for no damned good reason. Then do it again before the year is out and a couple of times next year. Then if they shuffle off this mortal coil before you send your thought and love to their nearest and dearest and give the price of a floral tribute to a charity you think / know they'd approve of.
If they are in a place of higher consciousness & spiritual enlightenment then they'll absolutely get that. And don't worry - Jeff doesn't really need the spare change he'd be making off any transaction conducted from the site, he's just doing it because he was bored and fancied another yacht.
nice spot though Sinead :)
Posted by: Alex Hens | 22/07/2008 at 11:06 PM
Northcliffe have products in this area ... http://www.lastingtribute.co.uk/
Posted by: John Whitehurst | 24/07/2008 at 01:40 PM