Your online persona after death

[slip84]

I've honestly not put an immense amount of thought into this, but I was just pondering as I stared into my fridge looking for a late-night snack what recourse one might have with regards to their online persona after their real-life death. It seems like it might not be the worst idea to have a chain of custody for online accounts after one's passing.

I have spent some time auditing my online existence in recent months in preparation for some things going on in my life, but I started to realize how most online services are not setup to really allow a user to peel off very easily. Facebook was a pain to close and I'm pretty sure all my stuff is basically just there still and will continue to be until all their storage crashes. I honestly think there might be a market for a "cleanup" service for people looking to wipe their online life away for one reason or another.

I know some people look at such things as a Facebook or a Twitter as a kind of memorial after death, but it honestly weirds me out. I treated my Facebook as one giant joke (I posted for the last few years in all caps and usually didn't provide any authenticity to anything I posted - what a memorial that would serve!) and my Twitter has been a weird collection of mood swings. I wouldn't want to be remembered by either; I would choose instead to be remembered by my real-life interactions with the people I know and love.

Anyway, thoughts on this?

[HoffmanMyster]

I started thinking about this a year ago when smallfry passed. Thankfully, my parents do have roundabout access to all my accounts of they desired, so at least there's something there. But it is an interesting discussion point, that's for sure.

[SpAmRaY]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

[slip84]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

I've been forcing more in-person interactions by removing myself from online communities that foster distance in those I'm close to. It sounds bitter, but if they're too busy to have time for me in real life and we live a few miles apart, what kind of friends are they?

My family is 9ish hours away by car for the most part, but I call my parents most every week or two. My brother is weird and we text every now and again, but he's in school so I mostly dismiss it.

My sister is off on the east coast and we chat when we both have time. I've had a chance to be out to visit her a few times in the last couple of years, so it's a real treat to see her.

I might be getting old, but I think these "social networks" that have been cropping up in the last decade and some change really cheapen (in most ways) our interactions with people. Forums are a bit different, though. Meeting people from this forum in real life a few weeks ago strengthened my involvement in the community; creating a Facebook only served to distance me from those I was close to.

[tp4tissue]

Tp4 is not an identity,

Tp4 is a belief.. the embodiment of an eternal principal.. omnipresence of the absurd

Tp4 is the exigent counterbalance to order, it can not be extinguished. 

[tp4tissue]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

[esoomenona]

.

[Coreda]

Best thing I've heard someone suggest was from the Security Now podcast, where one idea is to safely keep the master password (or a few One Time Password versions of it instead) of a LastPass account with a lawyer or bank, to be released on the holder's passing to the person of your choice.

That way all your identities can be tied to the one database of usernames and passwords (and notes if you've added any). Seems like a good solution, as LastPass can also be backed up offline.

[CPTBadAss]

For a little while I was really into Facebook until I felt that these online "friends" were more like a game of pokemon. I'm not really active there right now. It is useful for a couple things I do but overall, I'm not that into it.

Don't have a Twitter or Instagram or anything else.... For similar reasons to what you've mentioned. But mostly because I don't find them engaging. I'll neglect those even if I had them since they don't add too much value to my life. I think I have a LinkedIn account that I made and never logged into. I should delete that.

And I'm glad you enjoyed the meetup. I always feel the same way you do after them.

[SpAmRaY]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

more like i've got no real life friends 

[tp4tissue]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

(Attachment Link)

more like i've got no real life friends 

What is ... Real

What is ... Life

What are ... Friends

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

What is ... Real

What is ... Life

What are ... Friends

Show Image

Something you don't understand.

Something you will never understand.

Something you will never have.

[tp4tissue]

What is ... Real

What is ... Life

What are ... Friends

Show Image

Something you don't understand.

Something you will never understand.

Something you will never have.

hahaha, It's different for everyone, which is why I posed the question...

and I agree with your assessment of all 3 on my behalf

[Computer-Lab in Basement]

What is ... Real

What is ... Life

What are ... Friends

Show Image

Something you don't understand.

Something you will never understand.

Something you will never have.

Show Image

hahaha, It's different for everyone, which is why I posed the question...

and I agree with your assessment of all 3 on my behalf

Touché.

At least you've accepted it.


On topic: If I were to die an untimely death, I'd hope someone would have the courtesy to wipe all data from all my devices. As for my social media accounts, I'd actually prefer they be left intact, for the purpose of preserving my persona.

[paicrai]

idk id be dead i dont have much to care for, and if i manage to look good after death its not that big a difference and matter a whole lot because im not exactly a saint or whatevs, i'm just some dude

[tp4tissue]

What is ... Real

What is ... Life

What are ... Friends

Show Image

Something you don't understand.

Something you will never understand.

Something you will never have.

Show Image

hahaha, It's different for everyone, which is why I posed the question...

and I agree with your assessment of all 3 on my behalf

Touché.

At least you've accepted it.

Of course I accept it..  Anyone who does not accept basic principles such as these are too sure of themselves and probably blind.

1.

I live nearly 80% online. If Reality or its experience is real or real enough... Then any act to-distinguish already completes the requisite.

2.

Life always exists in a completeness level above consciousness so all attempts to understand it will be futile...

3.

As for friends... The concept never made sense to me because of how trivially simple it is... proximity + synergistic cooperability...  That would mean I am friends with a box, one which I store my computer parts in...

[tp4tissue]

idk id be dead i dont have much to care for, and if i manage to look good after death its not that big a difference and matter a whole lot because im not exactly a saint or whatevs, i'm just some dude

No truer words can be said about anyone, anywhere; we are all just -some-dude-...

[demik]

You okay OP?

[00zeRO]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

(Attachment Link)

more like i've got no real life friends 

I'll be your real life friend, though my living in Tennessee may pose a bit of a problem when hanging out is concerned...lol

[tp4tissue]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

(Attachment Link)

more like i've got no real life friends 

I'll be your real life friend, though my living in Tennessee may pose a bit of a problem when hanging out is concerned...lol

Isn't that the same as when People say,, Yea I'll go out with you.....  In a million years....

[SpAmRaY]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

(Attachment Link)

more like i've got no real life friends 

I'll be your real life friend, though my living in Tennessee may pose a bit of a problem when hanging out is concerned...lol

What's a 3 hour drive between friends....am I right?

[00zeRO]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

(Attachment Link)

more like i've got no real life friends 

I'll be your real life friend, though my living in Tennessee may pose a bit of a problem when hanging out is concerned...lol

Isn't that the same as when People say,, Yea I'll go out with you.....  In a million years....

Show Image

Ar, ar, ar...

you always this obnoxious TP4?

[tp4tissue]

Sadly I've got more online interactions than real life ones lately.

Is this circumlocution for exiguous sexy-time on the wife ?

(Attachment Link)

more like i've got no real life friends 

I'll be your real life friend, though my living in Tennessee may pose a bit of a problem when hanging out is concerned...lol

What's a 3 hour drive between friends....am I right?

add gasoline, add google maps, add rest stop, add resting before and after trip, add return trip, add ZERO sex with female to counterbalance..


Your brain already did all this subconsciously...  This is why the two of you are not AFK friends..

[dustinhxc]

Faux leather chair HHKB.

[tp4tissue]

Faux leather chair HHKB.

HHKB = Overpriced and Overhyped...

[dustinhxc]

Faux leather chair HHKB.

HHKB = Overpriced and Overhyped...

I have the JP, costed me WAY MORE then a 2. Lol

[slip84]

You okay OP?

Oh, perfectly fine. The life stuff I was/am dealing with involved government entities. That's all I want to say at this point. My online presence isn't overly dramatic or anything, but I got highly aware of certain things I've said and done and what they might have potentially meant for my future. I was being extraordinarily over cautious, but it was potentially one of those "hindsight is 20/20" things.

It's probably not the most ideal time to post something along these lines, given recent events, but it was something I was in fact pondering. We're living in a highly peculiar age where things are never forgotten. There is a constant living document, devoid of almost real humanity, that will never go away in our lifetime. You know, short of some truly epic ****.

[tp4tissue]

You okay OP?

Oh, perfectly fine. The life stuff I was/am dealing with involved government entities. That's all I want to say at this point. My online presence isn't overly dramatic or anything, but I got highly aware of certain things I've said and done and what they might have potentially meant for my future. I was being extraordinarily over cautious, but it's was potentially one of those "hindsight is 20/20" things.

It's probably not the most ideal time to post something along these lines, given recent events, but it was something I was in fact pondering. We're living in a highly peculiar age where things are never forgotten. There is a constant living document, devoid of almost real humanity, that will never go away in our lifetime. You know, short of some truly epic ****.

what recent events ?

[HoffmanMyster]

What's a 3 hour drive between friends....am I right?

You know what I just realized??  I'm pretty sure I live about 3 hours from you... Why haven't I driven down and visited?

Can I come over to play, SpamRay?

[C5Allroad]

Well, I know with Google you have options to say what do you want to do with that old email.
https://support.google.com/mail/answer/14300?hl=en
https://www.google.com/settings/account/inactive

[vivalarevolución]

Completing one's own mortality can be suprisingly...invigorating, if you get what I mean. 

[tp4tissue]

Completing one's own mortality can be suprisingly...invigorating, if you get what I mean. 

??

[ynrozturk]

Honestly I don't give a crap. I'll be dead.

[vivalarevolución]

Completing one's own mortality can be suprisingly...invigorating, if you get what I mean. 

??

Makes you realize how short life really is, the complete mystery of what happens afterwards, and more motivated to do something and have meaning in the life of others, at least for me.  I guess it depends on your perspective.

[vivalarevolución]

Also, I think if you lived your life in what you deemed as exemplary, and interacted with others on the Internet in a positive way, you should have no worries about your online footprint after your own passing.  If you leave something useful behind, your spirit is not really dead to everybody.  Your words, products of your efforts, and imprint on the minds and hearts of others still remain.

Am I getting too philosophical here?

[demik]

When i die i want somebody to nuke my e books folder.
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

My online persona is whatever.

[iri]

Posts: 9805

[demik]

?

[iri]

your "whatever" is quite massive.

[demik]

no, i mean, i don't care what people think about my online persona. nothing scandalous i have online that would bother me after i died. so if people looked back at it, it would be whatever.

[Air tree]

If anyone of us died it wouldn't matter that much because in probably one generation we will be forgotten for the most part.

So in reality even if you had something scandalous in the first place it probably would be forgotten in a few years time. Once we all die we will just be forgotten like everyone else on the planet that dies. Everything that we did or ever thought of doing will be nothing. The only thing that might be remembered is our name.

Even that I doubt will be remembered when I die.

[tp4tissue]

If anyone of us died it wouldn't matter that much because in probably one generation we will be forgotten for the most part.

So in reality even if you had something scandalous in the first place it probably would be forgotten in a few years time. Once we all die we will just be forgotten like everyone else on the planet that dies. Everything that we did or ever thought of doing will be nothing. The only thing that might be remembered is our name.

Even that I doubt will be remembered when I die.

Show Image

People who killed lots of people are really good at being remembered..

[Oobly]

I don't have an online presence that links directly to my real life. I mean, no Twitter, no Facebook, etc. Forum usernames, Gmail address, etc. don't have any link to my real name.

So I guess I don't even have an online persona while I'm alive...

The only thing that comes up that is actually linked to me when you search my full name is a patent document, first item in the list. Quite proud of that, actually.

But I'm just a grumpy "old" man with a grudge against social media who's paranoid about data security, so...