Shout out to the dead
August 22, 2008 1:16 PM   Subscribe

What software should I use for a collaborative memorial blog?

Asking for a friend - I want to set up a collaborative blog for someone who recently passed away, where users can come and post their memories/stories/comments, as well as photos if possible. The trick is that I don't want to force user registration, and I want people to NOT have to post only as comments, but rather each person who makes a contribution makes it separately and has equal weight, kind of like how it's done on Metafilter, except that Metafilter doesn't allow pictures and requires registration. So basically:

- A blog that anyone can post to, and
- An easy way to add photos

Sympathytree.com looks like a pretty good product, but besides costing $175 it requires each poster to request an invitation to post, which is not desirable for this application.

Can anyone help?
posted by kbanas to Technology (3 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
Caringbridge is more for family members of living people with terminal illnesses, but since Bob Moog's family set one up when he was diagnosed with his brain tumor and it quickly became public knowledge, it became a public memorial after his death and is still used for this. Maybe worth looking into at least.
posted by DecemberBoy at 1:27 PM on August 22, 2008


If you have a tumblr (which is the easiest blogging platform, with 1-click links to post text, photos, video etc) you're automatically given a private email address to which you can email content to. E.g. you can email a photo and the subject line will be the caption. Just distribute the email address-- no log-in is required. Obviously there's SOME risk of the email address getting into the wrong hands, but if the person wasn't a public figure likely to stir up interest I'd say you're fine. Besides, it's easy for you to delete or edit posts. tumblr.com
posted by acidic at 6:34 PM on August 22, 2008


I should note that although you can post photos to Tumblr, they won't show up in a separate gallery unless you customize it.

Another option is facebook. I have some friends who have passed who have Facebook groups dedicated to their memory. Photos, wall, discussion (although the discussion threads are almost always less-utilized than the wall). Good if the majority of the person's friends/family are on Facebook.
posted by acidic at 6:36 PM on August 22, 2008


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