-
What Happens to Your Virtual Life after Death?
Techtree News Staff, Mar 18, 2009 1110 hrs ISTThought about it?
After you die, whether or not your ghost will linger on the street where you lived is still a mystery; but given the engaging life that you live on the Internet, the life and the relationships that you build on this platform will stay even after you're depart from this World - of course, unless someone manually erases it.
Some of you maybe carrying out a business over the Internet where you've never actually met the person(s) you're dealing with. Similarly, you may have met the love of your life across continents, over the Internet non-borders, and not yet face to face. Further, you may be the protagonist of a forum, or part of a gaming community; you could be anybody who has an online identity, or several of them.
What happens to these people in your life when you unexpectedly take off for good?
Think about this - what if someone you know disappears overnight?
Well, it's one thing if you really don't care; but if you do realize that you have obligations towards people that you know, there are means that can help you take care of unfinished business, access critical data, say final goodbyes, share passwords, etc. by forwarding them to the people after you're gone.
If you're a planner, you probably have your set of passwords stored in a vault with its password tattooed on your body; or in a little black book - a less painful method. Although, there are other means to 'insure' such private information.
There are websites like Deathswitch and SlightlyMorbid that have been developed by people who've experienced unexpected disappearance of an online acquaintance or a friend, which caused them anxiety.
Deathswitch, allows people to set up e-mails that will be sent out automatically if the registered user doesn't check in at intervals they specify. This service costs $20 per year, members can create up to 30 e-mails with attachments like video files.
The service prompts users for a password periodically (set by the user). In case there's a miss, it sends out the message created by you to the recipients you've specified. In case you miss out filling in your password when intimated, the service declares you dead and passes on the information wealth to the person you've specified.
SlightlyMorbid is another similar service that was born out of a user's angst when his online friend disappeared for a while.
The website rightly points out the need for such a solution as it says, ''it is only been in the last few years that it has become common to have good friends that you've actually never met face to face.'' Like regular friends, not corresponding with them suddenly for an indefinite period is a cause of concern.
Unlike DeathSwitch, SlightlyMorbid services seek a one-time charge and not a monthly or yearly fee. Here's their price comparison chart.
The website gives people a place to consolidate their personal online contacts which they can segregate them into lists of people who should be notified in case of an accident, or death. In case of an accident, when you cannot log on to the internet on your own, you can pass on your login details to a trusted person who can send out the message you composed to be sent out in case of such an event. Interestingly, they cannot change your list or tamper with your account in any way.
So, have you incorporated a password-inheritance/critical info programme in your life already? Or rest aside, did this piece get you motivated to think about what you'd want to say (or leave behind) to the people who matter after you rest in peace?
