I'm Mahmoud, the guys at 1000memories are referring to.
I think that Rudy, Jonathan, and Brett had the right intentions with this post, but it backfired without having provided the proper context (which they tried to add in the comments here).
I contacted the guys yesterday with an idea for a project they can help execute with me and a group I'm working with. The idea was basically to setup individual pages for each individual that has lost his/her life during the Egyptian revolution. I thought having their families see the whole world's supporting messages could give them comfort and some closure.
The one thing that was missing was a front page that would combine all their profiles that would be a group memorial for visitors to land on first. I fired off the email and went to bed. I woke up 5am in the morning with 3 emails from Jonathan and an initial page already designed. I can't tell you how appreciative I was for the quick response and immediate action on their part. With this post specifically, the guys acted in the best interest of moving the project forward, but they just missed providing the proper context. It happens...so lets move on
This is an early project that needs all your help to improve it and promote it to something that makes these families proud.
I lived in Cairo on and off for up to 6 months at a time between 2004 and 2009. The whole situation has been somewhat surreal to watch. The places are all the same, where I lived and spent time, but the context is so radically different that it's hard to imagine this - even watching the videos on Al Jazeera.
But there is something about the quiet of this memorial and the simplicity of the names and ages of these people who I was in classes with just a few years ago, or riding the metro with, or practicing Arabic with, juxtaposed with the brutality of the way in which they died, that really hit me.
I'm glad you took the time to email 1000memories and I'm glad that they responded like they did.
I used to like the idea of 1000 memories back when I heard it for first time. But the aggressive PR posts on HN has ruined it for me. I never visited it again since I felt 1000memories' publicity rather relied on emotional exploitation (that is a strong word to use, but I can't think of a better one).
Your examples don't follow your template -- they're just links to news coverage of the service.
A startup's worst fear is dying due to anonymity.
If this page makes these people's deaths seem more tangible, and make the Egyptian situation less abstract, I don't see how that could possibly be bad.
You know, the concept of someone building a memorial for a loved one is a great one. I love the idea of this service. However, creating pages like this, for people you don't know, is scummy, IMO. I'm really quite disappointed in the way 1000memories has done this sort of thing; they've completely and utterly turned me off of using their service.
It's not black and white, but somewhere to reveal the very real suffering going on in Egypt right now I'd say is a plus. The major media rarely seem to actually give the people, just a number which is easier to dismiss - makes their sites easier to read without crying, but fails to impact upon you the reality of what's going on.
maybe a little context will help. from our blog...
Late last night, we received an email from Mahmoud Hashim, an Egyptian living in Toronto. Like us, he has watched with horror as peaceful demonstrators have been killed in the violence in Egypt. He told us about the growing movement to help document the martyrs losing their lives in the streets and pointed us to a collaborative Google Doc that is being circulated around the world to aid the process. Mahmoud wrote "I realized then that the least we can do is not forget these brave young men and women, and to honor them by letting the whole nation know who they were" He then asked us for a favor: Could we take the data being collected from observers in Egypt and make a more visually compelling website. He wanted us to "create a page that will help young people honor the memory of those heroes and for the whole world to see and then dive deeper."
This email came at the very end of a long day, but we knew what we had to do. We rolled up our sleeves and stayed up late into the evening creating a special online memorial to the Egyptian martyrs. A place to remember their sacrifices and know that these are not just numbers. We hope that this can be a place that shows the world what is happening and helps a little to remember each of the lives lost that they might not be wasted and that the violence may end. You can see it at 1000Memories.com/Egypt
If you have any information about someone killed in Egypt, we have linked our site to the Google Doc that has been used to record deaths. We are totally committed to continually updating our memorial as the Google Doc is updated. We currently have 32 names, but know there are hundreds more still undocumented.
This is exactly why we started 1000Memories in the first place: to help the living pay tribute and remember the ones we admire and love. We're glad to have an opportunity to do our part.
Last night an Egyptian in Toronto, who felt powerless to help in the midst of the bloodshed, asked if we could create a place for Egyptians and the world to remember the lives that have been lost in the protests in Egypt.
There's nothing wrong with businesses making money from providing a service to the bereaved. But I'm ill at ease with this for some reason. Are we going to see these 1000memories tributes pop up for all large-scale losses of life?
Would it be wrong to create an online memorial for all large losses of life? If there is I don't see it. This just makes it all a little bit more real to me.
That's because it deals with death that people are more uneasy about it, many other companies popup when events happen that their service is well equipped to assist with. I think the nature of their subject matter though means they do have to be more careful about the practice than other businesses.
That is really just the standard "style guide" of the site. YC companies are always referenced that way in titles.
It seems a bit unfair to make the assumption there is something opportunistic going on. The 1000Memories team are very thoughtful about the sensitive nature of their business in my experience.
I was going to disagree, because I thought you were talking about the ones who died in assaults. But I think you're right about the ones who just set themselves on fire in protest. That seems like a bit of an empty gesture.
Care to explain the downvote? I'd be interested to hear the alternate argument. I'm not talking about censorship; I just think the idea that dying can make you more of a hero is counterproductive.
This is surprisingly powerful. It personalizes people who (I assume) lost their lives asking for freedoms that we take for granted.
"Martyr" is probably the wrong word to use, given its religious connotations and the political spin around that at the moment. But this is a minor point.
Dont you think this is a bit like ambulance chasing? Are we going to have to hear about (anything that involves death) + 1000memories? I guess one mans misery is another mans marketing opportunity.
[+] [-] mhashim|15 years ago|reply
I think that Rudy, Jonathan, and Brett had the right intentions with this post, but it backfired without having provided the proper context (which they tried to add in the comments here).
I contacted the guys yesterday with an idea for a project they can help execute with me and a group I'm working with. The idea was basically to setup individual pages for each individual that has lost his/her life during the Egyptian revolution. I thought having their families see the whole world's supporting messages could give them comfort and some closure.
The one thing that was missing was a front page that would combine all their profiles that would be a group memorial for visitors to land on first. I fired off the email and went to bed. I woke up 5am in the morning with 3 emails from Jonathan and an initial page already designed. I can't tell you how appreciative I was for the quick response and immediate action on their part. With this post specifically, the guys acted in the best interest of moving the project forward, but they just missed providing the proper context. It happens...so lets move on
This is an early project that needs all your help to improve it and promote it to something that makes these families proud.
I hope I brought some clarity to the situation.
[+] [-] nlwhittemore|15 years ago|reply
But there is something about the quiet of this memorial and the simplicity of the names and ages of these people who I was in classes with just a few years ago, or riding the metro with, or practicing Arabic with, juxtaposed with the brutality of the way in which they died, that really hit me.
I'm glad you took the time to email 1000memories and I'm glad that they responded like they did.
[+] [-] bhavin|15 years ago|reply
Few other examples: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1862700
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2005187
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1598485
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1985340
I used to like the idea of 1000 memories back when I heard it for first time. But the aggressive PR posts on HN has ruined it for me. I never visited it again since I felt 1000memories' publicity rather relied on emotional exploitation (that is a strong word to use, but I can't think of a better one).
[+] [-] mceachen|15 years ago|reply
A startup's worst fear is dying due to anonymity.
If this page makes these people's deaths seem more tangible, and make the Egyptian situation less abstract, I don't see how that could possibly be bad.
[+] [-] daeken|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 46Bit|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rudyadler|15 years ago|reply
Late last night, we received an email from Mahmoud Hashim, an Egyptian living in Toronto. Like us, he has watched with horror as peaceful demonstrators have been killed in the violence in Egypt. He told us about the growing movement to help document the martyrs losing their lives in the streets and pointed us to a collaborative Google Doc that is being circulated around the world to aid the process. Mahmoud wrote "I realized then that the least we can do is not forget these brave young men and women, and to honor them by letting the whole nation know who they were" He then asked us for a favor: Could we take the data being collected from observers in Egypt and make a more visually compelling website. He wanted us to "create a page that will help young people honor the memory of those heroes and for the whole world to see and then dive deeper."
This email came at the very end of a long day, but we knew what we had to do. We rolled up our sleeves and stayed up late into the evening creating a special online memorial to the Egyptian martyrs. A place to remember their sacrifices and know that these are not just numbers. We hope that this can be a place that shows the world what is happening and helps a little to remember each of the lives lost that they might not be wasted and that the violence may end. You can see it at 1000Memories.com/Egypt
If you have any information about someone killed in Egypt, we have linked our site to the Google Doc that has been used to record deaths. We are totally committed to continually updating our memorial as the Google Doc is updated. We currently have 32 names, but know there are hundreds more still undocumented.
This is exactly why we started 1000Memories in the first place: to help the living pay tribute and remember the ones we admire and love. We're glad to have an opportunity to do our part.
[+] [-] jonathanbgood|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] adultthrowaway|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] JoshCole|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] robryan|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] avner|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] answerly|15 years ago|reply
It seems a bit unfair to make the assumption there is something opportunistic going on. The 1000Memories team are very thoughtful about the sensitive nature of their business in my experience.
[+] [-] michaelfairley|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DanI-S|15 years ago|reply
One live freedom fighter is worth a thousand dead ones.
[+] [-] sp332|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] DanI-S|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] akozak|15 years ago|reply
Seems like there are better ways to remember someone.
[+] [-] mahmud|15 years ago|reply
"Egypt Remembers":
مصر تتذكر in standard-arabic
[+] [-] Bretthuneycutt|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gruseom|15 years ago|reply
"Martyr" is probably the wrong word to use, given its religious connotations and the political spin around that at the moment. But this is a minor point.
[+] [-] d3x|15 years ago|reply