Comments on: Why Paid Obituaries? http://publishersblogfile.freedomblogging.com/2008/04/30/why-paid-obituaries/ by Kent Kilpatrick Fri, 22 Aug 2008 01:52:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Kent Kilpatrick http://publishersblogfile.freedomblogging.com/2008/04/30/why-paid-obituaries/#comment-23 Kent Kilpatrick Wed, 07 May 2008 22:28:24 +0000 http://publishersblogfile.freedomblogging.com/2008/04/30/why-paid-obituaries/#comment-23 Ms. Jordan, Thanks very much for you thoughts. I will have to say that I agree with you about the negative tone of some of the Open Line comments. While I will attest that Open Line is a very popular feature, I have asked folks many times to use the forum for constructive purposes and comments. Some may be critical in nature, but good honest debate of issues, both good and bad, is healthy in any community. However some have seemed to cross the line that you speak of. I can tell you that soon we will be introducing a new comment tool that will require folks to register a user name rather than the random names currently used. We hope this will cut down on some of the really unnecessary comments and keep them more civil and constructive in nature. Concerning your comment about the obituaries, thank you for the compliment. The new, full obituaries online is a great addition that I am glad that we finally are providing to the online public. The Legacy product has already proven to be very popular with our web users. Contrary to some opinions being voiced in the public and via Open Line, we are not eliminating obituaries! We would never do that. It is one of the best read sections of both the newspaper and the website. The information about all the deceased individuals will be published daily and be provided online, including upcoming services information. This will continue to be free of charge. The paid obituary is the expanded information on the individual, which includes the Legacy.com product, which includes the guest books you mentioned. This is included in the price. Thanks again for both your criticism and your praise! I do appreciate it. Ms. Jordan,

Thanks very much for you thoughts. I will have to say that I agree with you about the negative tone of some of the Open Line comments. While I will attest that Open Line is a very popular feature, I have asked folks many times to use the forum for constructive purposes and comments. Some may be critical in nature, but good honest debate of issues, both good and bad, is healthy in any community. However some have seemed to cross the line that you speak of.

I can tell you that soon we will be introducing a new comment tool that will require folks to register a user name rather than the random names currently used. We hope this will cut down on some of the really unnecessary comments and keep them more civil and constructive in nature.

Concerning your comment about the obituaries, thank you for the compliment. The new, full obituaries online is a great addition that I am glad that we finally are providing to the online public. The Legacy product has already proven to be very popular with our web users.

Contrary to some opinions being voiced in the public and via Open Line, we are not eliminating obituaries! We would never do that. It is one of the best read sections of both the newspaper and the website. The information about all the deceased individuals will be published daily and be provided online, including upcoming services information. This will continue to be free of charge. The paid obituary is the expanded information on the individual, which includes the Legacy.com product, which includes the guest books you mentioned. This is included in the price.

Thanks again for both your criticism and your praise! I do appreciate it.

]]> By: Liz Jordan http://publishersblogfile.freedomblogging.com/2008/04/30/why-paid-obituaries/#comment-22 Liz Jordan Wed, 07 May 2008 20:37:32 +0000 http://publishersblogfile.freedomblogging.com/2008/04/30/why-paid-obituaries/#comment-22 The overwhelming majority of the comments in the Open Line section are negative and downright mean. There are a lot of positive activities and events that go on every day within the community....have you considered going to church once in a while?! This negativity about the new obituary is dumb-founding.....I am handi-capped and can't leave my home for very long at the time--the ability to leave the family a heartfelt message on the guestbook page is a true God-send to me, since I'm not able to go to the funeral home. And the families that have received the messages from me have written me back to tell me how much they appreciate my prayers and sympathy for them. I personally think the new obituary service is GREAT! The overwhelming majority of the comments in the Open Line section are negative and downright mean. There are a lot of positive activities and events that go on every day within the community….have you considered going to church once in a while?! This negativity about the new obituary is dumb-founding…..I am handi-capped and can’t leave my home for very long at the time–the ability to leave the family a heartfelt message on the guestbook page is a true God-send to me, since I’m not able to go to the funeral home. And the families that have received the messages from me have written me back to tell me how much they appreciate my prayers and sympathy for them. I personally think the new obituary service is GREAT!

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