You know, us Silicon Valley folk spend an awful lot of time talking about how the Internet has changed the way we live. From e-mail and instant messaging to Facebook and Twitter, it seems not a day goes by without hearing about the next great technological innovation. In all this talk about the future of the Internet, however, it seems people haven’t been asking one critical question. We know how the Internet has changed our lives, but how has the Internet changed our deaths?
As we’ve observed countless times on the ReputationDefender Blog, the line separating a person’s digital life from their actual life is razor-thin. For all practical purposes, the line doesn’t exist at all. For instance, I personally have a LinkedIn profile, Facebook page, Twitter account, blog, and about 10 other things I use online everyday. Whether I’m connecting with friends, discovering new resources for my work, or simply passing the time, each of my accounts has become a part of my actual life. Of course, being a ReputationDefender employee, I know the importance of properly managing my digital life. But what would happen if I were to pass away? Would my girlfriend know how to log-in to my e-mail? Would my parents have access to my Facebook page? What would happen to the rest of my profiles?
It is becoming more and more common that, after a person dies, his or her digital legacy will live on uninterrupted. In many cases, existing social networking profiles become virtual memorials for grieving friends and family. One website, MyDeathSpace.com, even went as far as to actively search out deceased MySpace users and connect them to their real world obituaries, attracting national media coverage in the process.
Of course, not all surviving friends and family appreciate this kind of exposure for their loved ones, which has led to a rather interesting emerging industry. Recently, NPR ran a segment on a new company called Legacy Locker which promises a “safe, secure repository for your digital property that lets you grant access to online assets for friends and loved ones in the event of death or disability.”The company, which is only a few months old, has already been written up in The Wall Street Journal, TechCrunch, CNET News, and ReadWriteWeb.
So, what do you think? Would you personally pay $300 for this kind of service? Would you consider buying it for an elderly relative? To listen to the NPR story, check out this link.
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This issue has seen great attention in the press recently. People are spending more and more time investing in their digital life without any thought of its afterlife. I’ve been thinking about just this issue for about a year now. I’m not sure if Legacy Locker or other similar services are the answer, but I’m certainly considering it.
Thanks for the comment, Evan. One thing I noticed in the comments of the article on Legacy Locker was that many people find the service unnecessary. They suggested alternatives such as storing your log-in and password data onto back-up drives, or setting up an alternate e-mail account that contained all of the relevant information. Of course, this assumes that you’re mindful enough to continue to update your information and, further more, that the people you leave behind are technologically savvy enough to access the information.
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