On Facebook you are immortal
many smaller social networks do not have any method of removing a profile. Orkut allows one to request that a profile be removed upon death. If you make such a request, you have to upload a death certificate and Orkut promises to take action within three business days.
Facebook, on the other hand, does not “remove” the profile (it can, if you want) but “memoralises” it. “Memorialising the account removes certain sensitive information and sets privacy so that only confirmed friends can see the profile or locate it in search. The Wall remains so that friends and family can leave posts in remembrance,” the company explains. Again, one has to provide proof of death. Both networks allow one to report death through help pages on their sites.
Death is not easy to deal with, but it is a fact of life and like it or not, we will increasingly be dealing with the issues that we discussed in this column as our lives become digitally connected.
Read more at in.news.yahoo.com
