What happens when you die?
Hopefully you’ve got your spiritual self ironed-out and you’ll go “up” on your final elevator ride and not “down.” When this happens, and it will, what happens to your email, Facebook, Twitter, Google+ Plus and iTunes account?
This technology is so young, as it is the users. This is a question that hasn’t come up much, yet.
I had a cousin who was killed in a car accident a few years ago and his Facebook was turned into a kind of online shrine where people can post messages and memories. That’s great, but with so much financial information moving online, we might want to think about some solutions. In fact, some loved ones (perhaps even the departed) would rather have their account closed. I know I would want my accounts closed. It’s not like there’s Facebook in heaven.
Here’s an interesting solution:
Dead Man’s Switch
Catchy title, eh?
This is how it works:
You write a few e-mails, and choose the recipients. These emails are encrypted with military-grade algorithms, so you can be sure that no-one except the intended recipient will ever read them. Your switch will email you every so often, asking you to show that you are fine by clicking a link. If something were to… happen… to you, your switch would then send the emails you wrote to the recipients you specified. Sort of an “electronic will”, one could say.
My first thought after reading this was, “What if I’m on vacation or the messages end-up in my SPAM!?!”
There are some safeguards:
The emails are sent in configurable intervals. If you don’t answer the first, you will get a second and a third one. If you don’t answer those either, your switch will be activated. Of course, you can have your switch postpone its activation (if, for example, you’ll be away for some time) by telling it to not try to contact you for a specified period of time.
The service is free. It’s hard to tell how long this service will last, but it is an interesting idea and a concept we should pause and think about.
Perhaps social networks and online accounts should natively build some sort of instance for this? Should we share our email password with someone – “just in case?” – since most accounts can be unlocked via password recovery associated with the email?
What do you think?
Learn more about the Dead Man’s Switch and sign up for your own account on the Dead Man’s Switch website.
[Image via Derek Gavey]
TJ says
This is fascinating. I don’t know what to think of it yet…
James Brooks says
This is a very real issue and something I have thought about a lot. I definitely think that the companies themselves (Facebook, Google, etc), should build something in for this.
Eric Dye says
True story.
Simon says
How do you know there’s no facebook in heaven? I’m pretty sure there is in hell. But you wont be able to block people or change your privacy settings.
Simon Rushton: is burning
Eric Dye says
HA!
Andrew (CobaltAudio) says
I think it’s a bit creepy!
Eric Dye says
Well, James has thought a lot about it … so … yeah.
Djs says
Should probably encourage people to put a statement about social networking accounts in their Will. I wonder if Intuit (Quick Willmaker) has gotten wind of this yet?
Eric Dye says
I’m sure this issue will rise sooner than later, so yeah, they probably will catch wind of it at some point.
James Cooper says
As a freelancer I also wonder about ‘what would happen to my passwords, etc.’?
Eric Dye says
I know, right!?!? I’m the same way!
Djs says
I store them in a secure file, then store the password to the file with my offsite will.
Eric Dye says
That’s amazing.