Recently, a tragic personal experience, when my father passed away, brought about a realization: I felt the need to create an application that enables me to keep my father's memory forever close, so I can, at any moment and any place, visit and talk with him, expressing my feelings.
I looked and could not I find anything that fulfills this need. I noticed that most of those with a similar need use Facebook or Twitter to honor their loved ones and share condolences. These posts, however, are quickly lost within the vast amount of life activities that social media showcases—they are not dedicated to preserving the memory of these loved ones.
I believe there is no human being who has not experienced the loss of a loved one (either a relative, such as a grandfather or grandmother, or perhaps a friend). Everyone wishes to honor those loved ones, especially remembering them on anniversaries of their passing.
Therefore, for a period of three years I invested in developing Shrine. It is a free application that carries a noble goal: covering a void in this human need to remember loved ones that died. The application was developed professionally, and it operates on two servers with strong security protocols.
Although the main purpose of the application is to honor loved ones, it can also serve as a historical reference for important personalities that deserve to be honored. It can also be used for documenting catastrophes that have left victims, preserving their memory after their suffering. Compared to the high cost of a real memorial, Shrine achieves this electronically at no cost, only with an interest and focused effort.
For example, I created a memorial for a Japanese plane crash that claimed dozens of victims, including children, whose suffering was forgotten. When I sent it to a young Japanese friend of mine, he replied that it is the first time he heard about this accident and was greatly affected. With Shrine, it is so easy to create a virtual monument for every family or group that wants to immortalize the memory of their loved ones.
Targeted Group
In general, every person who carries a mobile device is a target for this application. Although, I think those at the age of 40 and over are more affectionate and connected to their memories, having the desire to express their feelings. Even societies and institutions that take care of physical memorials may find this application to be a useful and important way to spread their message. For example, in Shrine I published in a memorial to honor the victims of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1989, because I was greatly affected by this incident at the time. Maybe NASA will have an interested in adopting this electronic monument for those national heroes.
Overview
The following are summarized descriptions of the fundamental features of Shrine, distributed among three main sections: Shrines, Elysium, and General Tools.
First: Shrines
A Shrine of a deceased person is created and published on an elegant page that befits that person. Feelings are then expressed in a private or general manner, virtual flowers are placed, and blessings are offered. The following are the most important related features:
- The member chooses from three lists of the posted Shrines (Sponsored, Followed, and Country).
- Creating a shrine is simple, only the name and the date of death are mandatory. The Shrine then displayed in an elegant page carefully designed to fit all related information, and data.
- A shrine could be set to public or a private, in a private shrine no one but the sponsor or accepted followers can see and add comments, and the profile picture is hidden.
- Comments could be posted in public shrine, including text, photos, audio recordings, and YouTube links.
- In the library; Posted photos will be displayed in one place elegantly.
- A blessing could be added to any shrine by a member every 24 hours.
- Private messages are available only to shrine sponsor.
- A reply option is available for the deceased in case he can.
- A member can follow a specific shrine if it is public, and request to follow it if it is private. A follower receives notifications by mobile and email
- A member can put flowers on a shrine; flowers he chooses from a gallery of different types and colors,
- A List of who already put flowers on the same Shrine is displayed.
Second: Elysium
Elysium, by definition, means a small paradise. This can be created and published in Shrine to commemorate an event, using an elegant page that includes names and a Shrine for the deceased. Through this feature feeling can be expressed in a private or general manner; wreathes and flowers can also be placed, as well as offering blessings. It provides the same features and options as Shrines, with capability of adding names and Shrines of deceased related to a specific Elysium.
Third: General Tools
Shrine provides several tools and options that are useful, maximizing its benefits. Such as search, location, blocking, reporting, undelete, notifications, and more