Flutterby™! : Death & online communities

Many folks have mused on how virtual relationships have dramatically changed our reactions to things like death. What does it mean when, for instance, a semi-anonymous blogger whose writing we've enjoyed stops posting? Is that a virtual death, a real death, or will we ever know? Two reactions to deaths of members of online communities:

• The Short, Deadly Story of a Kid and his M5, kid shows up on performance driving forum, has interactions, some members express their concern that he's driving beyond abilities. Kid drives BMW off of an edge at over a hundred miles an hour, killing himself and four friends. Forum members make the connection.
• An active member over at LumberJocks dies, The Community Creates A Memorial, and more continuity on the memorial project, brought to prominence by today's entry on making the inlays on the frame for the stained glass piece.