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My sister and I interviewed our grandfather before he passed, after being inspired by a friend who does this privately as an offline, local service. I'm so plea

My sister and I interviewed our grandfather before he passed, after being inspired by a friend who does this privately as an offline, local service. I'm so pleased to see this, it's heartwarming and so powerful. Having our grandfather's voice is priceless. Plus the stories we learned that otherwise would have remained with him! Question: my friend would be perfect for this as a job for her, how might she go about applying? As an aside could you also use it to write biographies? Biography-as-a-service I imagine might go down well..

netsharc 6y ago
> Biography-as-a-service I'm not mocking your idea, I genuinely think it's great, but I can imagine how depressing the Amazon "Biographies" section will be in a few years when it's filled with Youtubers and Instagram influencers who "made it" and think their stories are worth reading...
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- ross_chanin 6y ago
  So I think this is a really important thread you're pulling on. When we think about our goal for Artifact, we really want to create a space for people to explore the important stories and subjects in life, especially when someone might think that those things might not be worth capturing - they are! It's why Artifacts are default private or set up for easy sharing only among close friends, family, or colleagues. Now if people want to share their interview more widely, they are of course welcome to do so, but I 100% agree with you that I think what we are building looses a lot if the assumption is that Artifacts are created for primarily public consumption, etc. It's something we'll be paying close attention to going forward. Thank you very much for the astute comment.
  - telesilla 6y ago
    I believe everything that ever lived has a story to tell (or that did not live, even https://youtu.be/HOPwXNFU7oU https://youtu.be/HOPwXNFU7oU). I imagine a Borgesian world where all the stories that could ever be told are available to all the future ages of time. What incredible things could we do, as a people, if we truly were able to process in some way the lives of those who came before us, and knowing our own stories could be shared with generations to come? Narcissism notwithstanding, as for me it's the ordinary lives that have so much to offer us, in aggregate.
    - ross_chanin 6y ago
      I think this is beautiful idea and thank you sharing the link to the short film. And yes, the little things are in fact the big things.
ross_chanin 6y ago
I really wished I had done with my grandfather what you and your sister did with yours! Your friend can email us at contact@heyartifact.com. George, my co-founder, will follow up from there. Regarding biographies - great question. We don't currently do this, but it's an idea that make a lot of sense as extension of "Life Story" Artifacts. And in a lot of respects, "Life Story" Artifacts, which occur over 3 to 4 interviews, end up feeling a lot like an "audio biography" - with that intimacy of having the person's voice right there. Thank for the suggestion and please do have your friend email us!
- OJFord 6y ago
  On some level I agree, but I also really don't: I'd never be able to listen to it, I'd find catching a glimpse of it etc. painful even, I'm sure.

netsharc 6y ago

> Biography-as-a-service I'm not mocking your idea, I genuinely think it's great, but I can imagine how depressing the Amazon "Biographies" section will be in a few years when it's filled with Youtubers and Instagram influencers who "made it" and think their stories are worth reading...

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
ross_chanin 6y ago
So I think this is a really important thread you're pulling on. When we think about our goal for Artifact, we really want to create a space for people to explore the important stories and subjects in life, especially when someone might think that those things might not be worth capturing - they are! It's why Artifacts are default private or set up for easy sharing only among close friends, family, or colleagues. Now if people want to share their interview more widely, they are of course welcome to do so, but I 100% agree with you that I think what we are building looses a lot if the assumption is that Artifacts are created for primarily public consumption, etc. It's something we'll be paying close attention to going forward. Thank you very much for the astute comment.
- telesilla 6y ago
  I believe everything that ever lived has a story to tell (or that did not live, even https://youtu.be/HOPwXNFU7oU https://youtu.be/HOPwXNFU7oU). I imagine a Borgesian world where all the stories that could ever be told are available to all the future ages of time. What incredible things could we do, as a people, if we truly were able to process in some way the lives of those who came before us, and knowing our own stories could be shared with generations to come? Narcissism notwithstanding, as for me it's the ordinary lives that have so much to offer us, in aggregate.
  - ross_chanin 6y ago
    I think this is beautiful idea and thank you sharing the link to the short film. And yes, the little things are in fact the big things.

ross_chanin 6y ago

I really wished I had done with my grandfather what you and your sister did with yours! Your friend can email us at contact@heyartifact.com. George, my co-founder, will follow up from there. Regarding biographies - great question. We don't currently do this, but it's an idea that make a lot of sense as extension of "Life Story" Artifacts. And in a lot of respects, "Life Story" Artifacts, which occur over 3 to 4 interviews, end up feeling a lot like an "audio biography" - with that intimacy of having the person's voice right there. Thank for the suggestion and please do have your friend email us!

OJFord 6y ago
On some level I agree, but I also really don't: I'd never be able to listen to it, I'd find catching a glimpse of it etc. painful even, I'm sure.