Code of conduct for online tribute sites launched

IT'S always rewarding to work on features that can make a genuine difference.

One such piece is published in Take a Break this week and Linda previously wrote about this for The Guardian.

While researching a previous writing project she came across various online tribute sites and became concerned, when she saw the outpourings of grief they contained, that vulnerable people could fall victim to unwanted attention.

She was further alarmed when she read reports from America that said some bereaved relatives were even insulted online and decided to suggest features to warn people of the perils.

Linda also quizzed different websites about whether a code of conduct should be initiated and gained backing from a charity for the idea.

It's good to know that people are being alerted to the potential pitfalls through these articles in mass market publications.

Since working on these pieces, a code of conduct is being launched. This is the brainchild of Jonathan Davies from MuchLoved.com.

Here's a press release that Jonathan has put out.

[Carol]

Announcing the creation of a Code of Ethics for website memorial tributes

The website memorial charity, MuchLoved.com, has joined together with other leading organisations to create a set of underlying principles to be observed when offering an online memorial service to bereaved people in memory of loved ones who have died.

Website memorials allow people to create online tributes that can be accessed from anywhere 24hours a day and which can allow other people affected by a death to add their own contributions and messages of condolence.

More and more people are turning online to create tribute websites to loved ones and so a number of organisations have been established to help people do this, encompassing a range of charitable, not-for-profit and commercial memorial organisations.

Why a code of conduct is needed:

Whilst the benefits of an online memorial can be significant, clarity and assurance is needed to ensure that tribute hosting periods and privacy access requests are observed. Furthermore, marketing of these website services should be sensitive to the vulnerability of recently bereaved people. An example of poor practice that has occurred and shown the importance for such a code was the recent attempt to place external adverts on one site’s memorial tributes causing an outcry from their users.

Who are the organisations involved?

Along with MuchLoved, other organisations involved with the establishment of the code include MissYou, Tribute Times, The Last Respect and Remembered Forever. The code is published at the website www.thememorialcode.org along with details of the endorsing organisations.

The founder of The Last Respect, Chris Levee, says that 'In my opinion the Code of Conduct is an excellent way to ensure that users can have privacy whilst creating their memorial and are treated sensitively at the beginning and throughout building up their memorial. The Code of Conduct guarantees that the users' details will be kept private and if at any stage any inappropriate content is posted it will not be made live onto their memorial site. This is the reason The Last Respect wanted to be part of the memorial Code of Conduct.'

What the code says

The code creates a fundamental principle of stewardship, that ‘Memorial Websites exist to serve and support the bereaved and service providers should at all times remain sensitive to their needs’.

It also provides guidance in terms of the rights and responsibilities of both the site creator and the service provider, along with requirements for acceptable site promotion and charging transparency.