To think that posting a "like" message on FB with regards to someone's death announcement is trite and wrong!

[Vagabond]

A person in our small community was tragically killed in a car accident yesterday.

Someone in the community started a FB thread about it to say "RIP XXX etc". I just looked online to read 8 proper comments and 7 "likes". I'm . It's not a flavour of fucking ice cream, for Christ's sake. Could they not be bothered to write a proper message which his family will probably read?

There is something seriously wrong with the machinations on FB sometimes.

It reminds me of a woman I worked with who put a Cancer UK charity box on the counter of her shop. She assured me most earnestly that "I am a big fan of cancer".

Good grief!

YANBU- people did the same when my BF's baby was seriously ill in hospital. Mind you, I was a bit uncomfortable about her putting updates on FB about the baby's health, but each to their own.

I agree that they were applauding the sentiment but don't you think it's bit LAZY. I mean, someone just died. How can you press the "like" button. It just feels ick and wrong and as if it means nothing more than a click of a button.

blimey i hardly ever go on facebook and that sounds really crass.

From what I hear of FB, it encourages people to forget the conventions of normal social interaction - particularly worrying in young people who maybe never learned them in the first place. YANBU

A lot of people will do both, click like AND leave a comment and as there were 8 likes & 7 comments plus the poster, that tallys in my mind.
Anyway none of my business

to "like" under these circumstances means you agree with the sentiments of the person who wrote it.

Nothing more than that.

Sorry to hijack but what do you guys think of this one? A friend of mine updated her FB status to say 'think my baby has a chest infection' and so many people clicked 'Like'. In this case, it isn't agreeing with sentiment. Isn't it totally ?

I think it's lazy. It just means you don't have to think of something to write, I guess.

What would these people do in RL? What would they say?

FB is a bit crap for that. A friend of mine has just updated the organisations/charities she supports and I got all these updates:

x likes NSPCC
x likes Pink Ribbon day

and x likes children dying of cancer

I think we're just moving on to a new form of communication and people haven't worked out the rules yet.

I didn't know whether or not to put it up on facebook when my mum died (I didn't because it seemed wrong) but actually, it would have been helpful, to be able to let people know that way.

After my mum died, I did put something on facebook, and it was definately the right thing to do, as I was so touched by how many of my schoolfriends posted, and mentioned their own memories of my mum. I found that very comforting at the time.

i press like as a mark of respect that the passing has happened but don't know what to say....so i like what the FB person has written and not the like that the person has has passed

Yes it means they agree with the sentiments of grief etc, but call me old fashioned, I am with vagabond - post a properly thought out response in these circumstances or nothing at all. Insensitive

I get what you're saying.

I feel a bit the same on forums, when there's a sad thread, someone died etc (particularly if it's a personal one rather than a famous person) and people post:

:(

I mean, I know we all struggle with finding the right words sometimes, but FFS a sad smiley??

Also some people click like so that if anyone leaves a comment or an update is added then they will get a notification (I belong to a news group on facebook and was rather taken aback by some of the things people liked until this was explained to me)

I know what you mean, but I see it more as a non-verbal thing, as you might do in real life, such as a hug, or a pat on the shoulder, along with a compassionate expression. Sometimes there aren't words, but you can still acknowledge what's happened.