I just got my first birthday reminder for a dead relative! I hope to have many more to look forward to. But, it was kinda creepy. And several people wished him a happy birthday! . . . seems like some did it in remembrance, but I think some had no clue.
Are they working on handling deaths better? The facebook birthday reminder tolls for the.
Is his page one of those that have been memorialized after his death, or is it just running along like he is still alive?
I told my daughter I want my facebook deactivated immediately upon my death. I know some people like being able to post on their dead friends and relatives pages, but I think it’s creepy.
It still running along I think. He wasn’t all that active. But, even if it’s maintained after his death I don’t think we need birthday reminders. . . you know.
It’s very strange to think that this is likely to become common.
Easy way to tell is to look at the name at the top of the page. If it says “John Smith” then FB still thinks it’s active. If it says “Remembering John Smith” then it’s been turned into a memorial page.
Look up FB’s procedure for turning the page into a memorial page and then there won’t be any more birthday reminders.
Zev Steinhardt
Unless they become tribute pages, I unfriend dead friends and relatives. It just feels creepy not to.
Facebook knows how to handle deaths (memorial pages or deleting the account), the challenge is knowing when to do it. FB first has to rely on someone notifying them that person is deceased. Then they have to have some way of confirming it, which requires additional effort on the relative or friend’s part. There are probably plenty of pages where everyone assumes someone else will do it.
Here’s the FB page where you can request a page be converted to a memorial. And here’s a FAQ on it.