Facebook and the Dead

I have had the sad occasion to have two acquaintances on Facebook pass away. And both times I have been witness to a most peculiar phenomenon. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the wall, it is a space in one's profile to which anyone can post if they are a friend. After one dies, the wall becomes saturated with well wishes, RIP's, final admissions and reluctant goodbyes. It becomes, more or less the outlet for friends of the deceased to post their last words to that person. A beautiful flowing collage of epitaphic expressions on a web page.
Some may argue against it's creation, stating that the dead will never know these goodbyes. I do suppose this argument is valid. The person to whom these comments are directed cannot read them. But is the page of which I write really meant for the deceased? I think not. It seems to serve as a therapeutic comfort for the living; a concise virtual funeral; a marvelous tribute to a person who has gone away.
In one case I have found anniversary posts; remembrances of like eloquence are found commonly in newspapers every day.
To conclude these walls have lasted to this day. Anyone who was a friend can observe the walls of Will Mcafoo, and quite recently Heather Weeks. Two friends of mine that are gone and not forgotten in real life, or online. Their profile, and that Facebook funeral remain there for us to visit whenever we would wish to for the rest of our lives.