Till death do us part?

Two days ago, Facebook’s head of security, Max Kelly, made it known that the social network website has a policy of “memorializing” profiles of users who have died.

This has been around before all of these updates, but is this something that folks will like, or have we created internet zombies? Read more about this after the jump.

A spokeswoman told TIME magazine that the policy will seal the recently deceased profiles from any future log-in attempts and will leave the wall open for family and friends. Not bad, right?

Well, the company is facing backlash due to the site’s new homepage, which Facebook rolled out on Oct. 23rd. The update came in the form of automatically generated “suggestions” of people to “reconnect” with. This online revival of the un-living made most folks mad, creating a “#massivefacebookfail” hash tag trend on Twitter.

Kelly said in his blog post this:

“We understand how difficult it can be for people to be reminded of those who are no longer with them, which is why it’s important when someone passes away that their friends or family contact Facebook to request that a profile be memorialized.”

While you have to fill out a Facebook form to confirm a user’s death – have we gone too far in lamenting the fallen? I don’t think so. This feature will do well to let those who may not be in the loop to properly send their farewell messages.

And even though the “reconnect” feature would make folks feel like they’re trapped in an internet “Thriller” video, these fallen soldiers get a chance that most celebrities are afforded when they pass – the ability to let their community of connections lament them respectfully.

What do YOU think? Is it wrong for Facebook to immortalize the fallen? Or should the dead get a proper send off down the digital river Styx?

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