Connecting with Others Through Memories

So much of what we experience in online communities today is driven by real-time sharing of ideas, links and news - things that change on a daily basis. It can be pretty exhausting trying to keep up with the pace. Recently, crayon (my employer) took on a client that is focused on something entirely different: connecting people through the past.

Linkory is a site that allows members to post memories of any sort and share them with anyone. For example, you can put up some personal family members - maybe even a video of a grandparent reminiscing about their early life and struggles - and make it viewable only to your family. Or you could post your perspective on a historical event - say 9/11 or the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 - and see how other people viewed that same event.

Over time, I think there could be a use for the site by sociologists and psychologists, who might be able to make certain conclusions about demographics, behavior, or human nature based on various responses to a single event. With the rise of citizen journalism going on right now, it's fascinating to think that this might be a platform for citizen history.

One of Seth Godin's mantras is that marketing should be about storytelling because great stories capture the imagination, can be trusted, and are emotional. And really, when you're sharing a memory, you're telling a personal story.

Their site is fairly new and at crayon we're helping them test it out. I'd appreciate it if you checked out Linkory yourself and gave it a try. Let me know what you think of the concept or of anything related to the site.

In the meantime, enjoy this old Volkswagen commercial, backed with an entirely appropriate song for this post: "Memories" by Andre de Villiers.



The lyrics:

I remember the days of my life
I recall the faces – mostly yours
Magic moments – life was a mystery
There’s no place on earth that – we’d rather be

Moving up – going through some changes
Storing up the memories
Can you give me the light of my life?
I always gave the best I could give

Sometimes it never seemed like enough
Though we never quit when- the going got tough
Do you remember the way it used to be?
Never counting cost – was a matter of trust
Covenant cut – were lovers for life
I still bear the scar – you used to carry the knife

I remember the days of my life
I recall the faces- mostly yours
Magic moments – life still a mystery
There’s no place on the earth that- we’d rather be

This is my life
And I’m passing on the
Memories