Funeral assistance, even in Second Life

The Amsterdam based funeral company Uitvaart.com has opened virtual offices and a crematorium in Second Life. The company is the first funeral company to settle in Second Life. Uitvaart.com cooperates with Bogra, the largest coffin manufacturer in The Netherlands. Both companies mean that death has a place, even in Second Life. The offices of Uitvaart.com and the crematorium are located in the Gardens of memories of the Tatlina region. Inhabitants of Second Life can start a memorial memento for passed away loved ones from Second Life or real life. In the virtual crematorium there are rooms, which are also present in a real crematorium, such as rooms for urns, the hall and the rooms, where deceased lie in state.

Besides advertising the services of the company, Uitvaart.com offers information about the activities during a funeral, such as terminal care, church services, burials and cremation. But the information concerns also situations like people who die when abroad. In this way the company will offer people suggestions to keep the direction over the event.

Uitvaart.com exploits a number of websites with information on funerals. Condoleance.nl is a memorial site, where a memorial can be erected and where there is a possibility to offer condolences.

You start to wonder why a company like Uitvaart .com takes all the trouble to be present in Second Life. To me there are three reasons. In Second Life people also die; in fact people die faster according to internet speed. Secondly, people can play their own funeral and see the reaction to it from friends (these days a TV format in The Netherlands). Uitvaart.com will like to draw attention to their business and use Second Life for publicity.

Uitvaart.com is one of the latest companies getting active in Second Life. Dutch multinationals like the consumer electronics manufacturer Royal Philips and the bank ABN AMRO. Entertainment company Endemol recently held its first virtual Big Brother broadcast; the winner Madlin Flint won a virtual, uninhabited tropical island. An internet company Evident, based in Utrecht, started to fill vacancies in Second Life. Also the music band Di-rect will perform in Second Life; their performances in a daily life studio will be imitated virtually.

Tags: second life, virtual world

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Blog Posting Number: 632