Sciencemadness Discussion Board

"In Memoriam" Page

Texium - 7-5-2020 at 08:21

Quote: Originally posted by Bmoore55  
Do you think the community should have some kind of memorial page for members who have passed? Something like a hall of fame?
Personally I think that this is a nice idea, and I figured that an In Memoriam page on the wiki could be a good way to go about it. For each deceased member, it could include a copy of the public obituary, a link to the thread that broke the news here, and a few links to their best contributions here.

Whether you agree, or if you have reason to think such a page would be problematic, please vote in the poll and explain why you feel that way.

morganbw - 7-5-2020 at 09:09

I think that it would be a respectable thing to do.

I am also fairly sure that many will get missed. The anonymity of the web along with some members just fading away.

karlos³ - 7-5-2020 at 09:43

I think it is a nice idea, besides being a honorable mention as once a valued and liked part of the community, but now gone and missed, it also helps not to forget.

Fulmen - 7-5-2020 at 13:10

I like the idea, just keep in mind that others might disagree. What do we do if relatives or friends objects?
Remember that some here deal with energetics and other potential lethal compounds, chances are that some of us will get our stupid asses blown up, shot, burned or scraped off, or otherwise destroyed in one or another horrendous or ironic mishap. Whoever is left to clean up the mess might take offense to such a page. What then?

CharlieA - 7-5-2020 at 15:40

Quote: Originally posted by Fulmen  
I like the idea, just keep in mind that others might disagree. What do we do if relatives or friends objects?
Remember that some here deal with energetics and other potential lethal compounds, chances are that some of us will get our stupid asses blown up, shot, burned or scraped off, or otherwise destroyed in one or another horrendous or ironic mishap. Whoever is left to clean up the mess might take offense to such a page. What then?


If relatives (and maybe friends) object, it is a simple thing to respect their wishes and not put the person on the "Memoriam) page.

Other than that objection, I like the idea of a Memoriam page. The real question is then who will be responsible for the original post to it?

[Edited on 5-7-2020 by CharlieA]

Texium - 7-5-2020 at 15:42

If any family or friends object to their loved one being listed on the page, then that person should be removed from the page at once, no questions asked.

Cause of death, if it is known, should be omitted from the listings unless it is mentioned in the public obituary.
Quote: Originally posted by CharlieA  
Other than that objection, I like the idea of a Memoriam page. The real question is then who will be responsible for the original post to it?
I’d be happy to do it. I just figured I would wait a couple days to get feedback and opinions about it.

[Edited on 5-7-2020 by Texium (zts16)]

j_sum1 - 7-5-2020 at 15:56

I think it is a good idea.

THere are obvious sentitive issues but nothing in addition to what we are already dealing with in threads.

How many people are we talking about initially? I am aware of only two. But there are probably others from time past.

morganbw - 7-5-2020 at 18:19

Quote: Originally posted by j_sum1  
I think it is a good idea.

THere are obvious sentitive issues but nothing in addition to what we are already dealing with in threads.

How many people are we talking about initially? I am aware of only two. But there are probably others from time past.


That is the crux of it, most of will pass with no signal. It will take a friend that we trust to pass the info. I and I expect that most have not take this into their thoughts. Sometimes when we are gone the absence is all there there is.

fusso - 7-5-2020 at 18:41

Quote: Originally posted by CharlieA  
Quote: Originally posted by Fulmen  
I like the idea, just keep in mind that others might disagree. What do we do if relatives or friends objects?
Remember that some here deal with energetics and other potential lethal compounds, chances are that some of us will get our stupid asses blown up, shot, burned or scraped off, or otherwise destroyed in one or another horrendous or ironic mishap. Whoever is left to clean up the mess might take offense to such a page. What then?


If relatives (and maybe friends) object, it is a simple thing to respect their wishes and not put the person on the "Memoriam) page.
2 choices for the r&fs issue:
1. post their info without notifying r&fs and have them request take down themselves
2. after notifying r&fs and getting their agreement
and why isnt there a neutral/dont mind option? neutral/dont mind is different from not voting.

Bmoore55 - 7-5-2020 at 20:37

I think if a person has made contributions to the community and the community recognizes them as a net positive then it only makes sense to do something in their honor. Someone may not have been friends with everyone, but that is detract from the quality and scope of their work. I believe it is the honorable thing to do for your peers if they have done right for this community.

BromicAcid - 7-5-2020 at 20:44

I think at the least a persons status should be changed if they are known to have passed so that they don't get people waiting on responses via U2U and the like

itsallgoodjames - 15-12-2020 at 07:36

It seems that this idea got a decent amount of support, but didn't really end up going anywhere. Should I create a page on the wiki for this?

violet sin - 15-12-2020 at 19:04

My view here is perhaps not popular... If a family member feels it's wrong, fine, remove the real name if it was shown. leave a screen name and have a link to notable contributions or key photos. I see no reason to discredit or obscure a friend (anonymous or otherwise)and their status or accomplishments in our community, to appease an individual who is having problems grieving. Sorry. Grief is no fun. If the newspaper articles had chem related content,,, then they could be sanitized of familial/real world details and include it. Sure people could work to figure out details, but digital life yo... It's all searchable.

These would be to share positive facets, not berate individuals. Whomever is seeking to have their family member distanced from amateur chemistry, I get it. Though that doesn't make public records not public. What do you do if they pass on and leave a photo in photos of members? Ya leave it there.

After all, we are all friends after a fashion. If you're not fam, you've not a lot more pull than people here. If it's only left to a screen name, then a real person has no tie to be wary of. Don't diminish a fellow scientist for sentiment's sake.

symboom - 15-12-2020 at 19:40

This sounds like a great idea. This might be different for many
I see it as a celebration of the life that they lived. Preserving a legacy of their love of chemistry. A life that they pursued their passion and quest for knowledge. A trace of the personality of a fellow mad scientist preserved with in the fourm.

@itsallgoodjames I think you should creat a page and it sounds like Texium has some great pointers.


[Edited on 16-12-2020 by symboom]

itsallgoodjames - 15-12-2020 at 22:06

Ok, I'll do that at some point in the morning. If someone could list a few members, that'd be greatly appreciated. I seem to remember a few threads in the form matters section, so I'll start there, but if anyone knows anyone else, that'd be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[Edited on 16-12-2020 by itsallgoodjames]

itsallgoodjames - 16-12-2020 at 08:32

Oh no, I just realized how genuinely terrible I am at writing stuff like this. So umm...

Texium - 16-12-2020 at 09:21

I’d be happy to do it myself, though not today as it is my birthday and I’d rather not spend it working on something that’s a bit of a downer

Antigua - 16-12-2020 at 11:55

Happy birthday Tex!

itsallgoodjames - 16-12-2020 at 12:02

Happy birthday Texium! I hope you have a great day today (and tomorrow, and the day after...), but especially today!

violet sin - 16-12-2020 at 14:02

Happy birthday yo, mine was Saturday, and a good one at that. I wish you the same Texium

arkoma - 16-12-2020 at 15:29

Quote: Originally posted by violet sin  
My view here is perhaps not popular... If a family member feels it's wrong, fine, remove the real name if it was shown. leave a screen name and have a link to notable contributions or key photos. I see no reason to discredit or obscure a friend (anonymous or otherwise)and their status or accomplishments in our community, to appease an individual who is having problems grieving. Sorry. Grief is no fun. If the newspaper articles had chem related content,,, then they could be sanitized of familial/real world details and include it. Sure people could work to figure out details, but digital life yo... It's all searchable.

These would be to share positive facets, not berate individuals. Whomever is seeking to have their family member distanced from amateur chemistry, I get it. Though that doesn't make public records not public. What do you do if they pass on and leave a photo in photos of members? Ya leave it there.

After all, we are all friends after a fashion. If you're not fam, you've not a lot more pull than people here. If it's only left to a screen name, then a real person has no tie to be wary of. Don't diminish a fellow scientist for sentiment's sake.


Had a VERY gay friend that bought his own tombstone so his family couldn't change the narrative

My surviving family would have no business censoring anything of mine on the net. Who and what I was/am.

Texium - 17-12-2020 at 12:57

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

I just created the In Memoriam page:
http://www.sciencemadness.org/smwiki/index.php/In_Memoriam

I added entries for the three members who I knew of off the top of my head: The WiZard is In, Magpie, and Melgar. Feel free to add more entires, and also to expand those three that I have added (especially for the WiZ, as I never interacted with him personally, and could only go off what I knew from occasionally reading his posts and what others said about him).

karlos³ - 17-12-2020 at 14:15

My best wishes for your birthday too, I read that already before anyone posted in here and thought "better not, its a thread for our deceased members"... but now that all the others have congratulated, have mine too :)

After all, this could somehow be seen to equal a celebration of life in a thread about death.
I like how that seems to makes the community appear like :)

What about the very young person with the phosgene incident?
I don't remember his account name though.
Quote: Originally posted by arkoma  

Had a VERY gay friend that bought his own tombstone so his family couldn't change the narrative

My surviving family would have no business censoring anything of mine on the net. Who and what I was/am.

Is it who I think it is, you know, suicide capsule etc? :o
But he wasn't a member here, right?

symboom - 17-12-2020 at 14:19

That wiki page looks great Texium.
With the secret santa, the wiki page Texium made and whimsy.
Sciencemadness is looking more and more like a close community of amature chemistry in the pursuit of knowledge. It's good to see the progression of this community.

[Edited on 18-12-2020 by symboom]

j_sum1 - 17-12-2020 at 17:35

Really nice job, Texium. Thanks for this.
And happy birthday also.