Posted by Kim on May 13, 2020, 9:00am
NOTE: This has been a somewhat needed feature for some time, and planned for a long time as well. I built it before the pandemic started, and wrote the initial article about it then too. It was scheduled in the list of all the other feature spotlights to go out today, after Epic Week. But since the pandemic began, I've been waffling about whether to push it out -- it just feels so strange to be talking about death right now. But also very strange not to talk about it! So I just want to acknowledge up top before going in to this that there's probably no great time to talk about this subject that won't feel very heavy to some in the audience. But, deep breath, holds hands, we'll get through this mildly weird announcement together
Of all the things I thought I would need to think about when starting a website for RP gaming, I did not think that how to handle a death would be one of them. Yet over the years, the community has lost some very dear friends. How to memorialize them has always been an open question.
So far, we've had an informal policy of
- Not deleting the profile (unless contacted by a verified family member who requests it)
- Not editing the profile in any way
- Allowing kudos that may not meet the normal kudos guideline to be left on the user without the mods intervening, as a form of memorializing the user
But those friends who are grieving a user have often wondered if anything more could be done to protect the profiles, or to place a notice that would let others who knew them find out about their death.
So, now we finally have a way of marking a profile as "In Memoriam." Doing so:
- Prevents anyone from logging in to the account again
- Protects the account from being deleted by automated Server clean-ups
- Places a small note on the profile that the user is deceased, and the profile is being kept as a memorial
- Allows many more kudos to appear directly on the profile at a time, and stops those kudos from showing up in random order (on the theory that older kudos may be encouraging people to RP with the person, while the more recent kudos are tributes meant for family and friends to see)
- In the moderation review queue, submitted kudos are shown with a message to mods about the relaxed kudos guidelines to try and prevent mix-ups.
We're also changing our guidelines somewhat on what we'll accept as proof of a user's death. Instead of only accepting a copy of a death certificate, a combination of an online obituary and some other proof such as a link to a news article about the deceased may also be accepted.
Post tags: Feature Explanations
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Comments
Queen_of_Hell wrote:
I support the idea of keeping up the profiles of the members that have passed on (unless a family member asks for it to be taken down.) It is wonderful to keep their profiles in as a reminder this is very sad but incredibly thoughtful.
this is very sad but incredibly thoughtful.Yeah, I agree.
Raspberry_Beret
May 21, 2020
1:04pm
Kim thank you so much for this. I know I talked to you about a friend of mine before, and unfortunately I have no digital proof she's passed because I found out in a phone call. Long story, I don't want to hash this up again.
Anyhoo, a memorial is perfect. This is needed and I'm so grateful to you for doing so. Thank you very much. For those of us who grieve a lost friend on here, it's wonderful we have a way to remember them.
Anyhoo, a memorial is perfect. This is needed and I'm so grateful to you for doing so. Thank you very much. For those of us who grieve a lost friend on here, it's wonderful we have a way to remember them.
I have had great RPs going and then suddenly the other person 'disappears'. I now wonder what happened to the other person, If I offended the person or hurt them in some way. If I did, I would want to apologize. So at least it would rest my mind if I knew that someone is gone.
Perhaps others have had the same situation.
Perhaps others have had the same situation.
@Aydra Families can still request that accounts of deceased loved ones be taken offline. 
This is very thoughtful idea<3 Yet in some cases deceased's actual family would rather prefer/(or the deceased themselves.) That their online accounts are deleted rather than kept as memorial, death in all cases is tragic and in some cases it may cause friends and family even more pain when the person is 'kept alive' by online sites that won't let their information be taken off. This, I think is something many sites should consider as well. Even if I do respect the effort many sites and their staff put in this, and gesture it represents.
LakotaSiouxWarrior
May 16, 2020
11:49am
This beautiful moving and would help the greving process. Its great to be memoralized and remembered by your loved ones.
Rogue-Scribe
May 14, 2020
6:21pm
This is really good! It is a tough thing to address, but it happens. I've lost so many good RP friends over the years, and to have their works memorialised is a beautiful tribute!
Taciturn
May 14, 2020
5:54am
This is such a great, thoughtful feature. It might not seem like much to some but keeping someone's online presence alive after their passing can help online friends keep their cherished memories.
Since we don't allow people to log into accounts that were not created by them in life, a "next of kin" system like the one you described that lets someone else claim ownership of the account to play with is unlikely to fit with our rules and culture here. But if you'd prefer to have your account deleted instead of memorialized if we ever get that call, do let me know and I'll put a notice in your file
Ao3 actually has a policy that allows you to add "next of kin" to your account in case of your untimely death, so they can take over managing it and do whatever it is you wish them to do with your account, be it memorialize it, continue posting things, delete works, etc etc. https://archiveofourown.org/tos_faq#next_of_kin
it'd be lovely if we could have something like that here along with this memorializing feature!
I've often wondered what will happen here if I kick the bucket, so this memorializing feature is a great comfort!
it'd be lovely if we could have something like that here along with this memorializing feature!
I've often wondered what will happen here if I kick the bucket, so this memorializing feature is a great comfort!
Amazing idea, thank you for this
This will help so many people.
This will help so many people.
This literally gave me chills and made me cry (but in a good way). Love this idea. It's beautiful...and condolences to everyone who has lost a friend or loved one. * hug hug*
@Tusitala2017 - I'll put a note about that in your mod log.
@AgentMilkshake - As per this announcement, we no longer require a death certificate.
@AgentMilkshake - As per this announcement, we no longer require a death certificate.
Yes, there is no good time to talk about death, however I believe not only does this come at a critical time but also serves to help those in mourning over friends and or family. Death is hard, but this allows the community to acknowledge it and move forward with the best of intention. Thank you for all that you do, and thank you for tackling such a difficult subject for all of us here on RPR. This has been a very thoughtful, sweet, and meaningful idea to add to the site.
This is wonderful, heartwarming and definitely needed. This is also a kind, thoughtful approach to the whole matter.
Thank you, Kim. I love this.
Thank you, Kim. I love this.
One note- not just anyone can get a death certificate and they are expensive. I know you're not talking about an original, but parents of someone who is a minor may not give a friend access, particularly an online one. This came up in a college course years ago. A professor was absolutely insistent that a student in the class that had missed a week provide a copy of the death certificate. Apparently, the woman was not familiar with the fact you just can't get these easily and she wasn't an immediate family member of the deceased. She was a close friend or something.
Thank you Kim for taking a very thoughtful approach on speaking about this subject and for finding a way to save someone's profile in a way that would help their friends going through grief.
in case of death... I want my profile and all characters deleted/obliterated.
will there be a yes/no feature or question on my profile that I can select to this effect?
will there be a yes/no feature or question on my profile that I can select to this effect?
MasterWinter
May 13, 2020
11:32am
Understandable, and makes sense. Well then. IF I ever get to that point, I'll have to find a way to make certain there is some kind of proof.
Thanks Kim, appreciate that heads up!
Thanks Kim, appreciate that heads up!
alfred0809May 28, 2020
5:36am