Facebook is amazing and with an end of year (2012) forecast of 1 billion people who have a profile on Facebook, it's a brave person who says that they have reached their peak. Even those people who criticise Facebook are eventually convinced by their family members to get a profile and connect with them there.
But one thing that I believe they will be remembered for most is the ability for anyone who upgrades to "Timeline" to have their life history in activities, photos, videos and events for family members and friends, young and old to view.
I have always been fascinated by my own parents' history and indeed my family history. It's even more interesting that my Dad was Dutch and my mother was Anglo-Indian. Can you just imagine what their timeline would look like if I had their full history from their birth until death for me to review on Facebook?
And my family is not special in fact everyone's family is special to them and just think how grateful your children and grand children will be if you were to complete your full life history inside Facebook's "Timeline".
This became even more evident when my father-in-law passed away on the 10th January 2012. I only knew him a few years, but even in this short time I learned that this man had a very interesting history. He was a criminal lawyer, a glass expert and an enthusiastic letter writer to national and local newspapers. He even managed to get on BBC Midlands Today in the past 2 years. It would have been really interesting to review his full life history.
So the best thing my wife Clair could do, thanks to Facebook, was to set up a Facebook page to allow people to post photos and messages about him. The local press in his hometown, Stourbridge, also included the page URL in their online and off line news reports about him. I did not have this opportunity when my parents passed away and now anyone can create a Facebook page in the memory of a loved one.
Thanks to Facebook, all of us have a fantastic opportunity to create our own life story there and when we do eventually cross over to the "other" side, there will be a history for our loved ones who remain on earth to look at and remember us by.
So my message to all of you is convert to "Timeline" and start populating each of your years since birth with your key events, photos and activities. Not only is it a great way for you to review your own life and remember everything you have done, it will also provide a rich picture for your family and friends and understand your history right now whilst you are still on planet earth.
Success!
This article is dedicate to John V. Sanders who passed away peacefully on the 10th January 2012.
