Arranging Electronic Access For Your Survivors? 335
smee2 writes "In the past, when a family member died, you could look through their files and address books to find all the people and businesses that should be notified that the person is deceased. Now the hard-copy address book is becoming a thing of the past. I keep some contact information in a spreadsheet, but I have many online friends that I only have contact with through web sites such as Flickr. My email accounts have many more people listed than my address book spreadsheet. I have no interest in collecting real world info from all my online contacts. The sites where I have social contact with people from around the world (obviously) require user names and passwords. Two questions: 1. How do you intend to let the executors of your estate or family members know which online sites/people you'd like them to notify of your demise? 2. How are you going to give access to the passwords, etc. needed to access those sites in a way that doesn't cause a security concern while you're still alive?"
Death Notification Service (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Very simple.... (Score:4, Interesting)
That was the case when a good friend committed suicide (although some of us still suspect it was an accident, not intentional). He had his password stored in his computer, so it was as simple as turning on the machine, opening the Email client, and sending a message to all his friends on his contact list.
Those who received the message were asked to pass the word onto other forums/friends not included in the list. We also updated his webpage to let visitors know he had passed away.
Re:Been there (Score:2, Interesting)
I'm sure the deceased rather not have someone finding out what he was into in life.
But we would. Do tell.
Re:Very simple.... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Very simple.... (Score:4, Interesting)
I've got a CD-RW in my safe deposit box at the bank. Whenever enough stuff changes, I just take a new one down and bring the old one back. There are instructions on the disc for what to do with the information - who to contact, what passwords go to which accounts, all that stuff. My mom and dad have done the same thing.
One of the best things that you can do for those that you leave behind is to make your passing as easy as possible. Don't die and take the secrets that your family needs to get on with life to your grave. Unless you were a heartless bastard, they'll probably be upset enough that you're gone. No need to make it worse.
Re:More to the point, would you want them to? (Score:4, Interesting)
Clearly you've never seen an easter egg hunt. It's like when people get frustrated with videogames, except instead of controllers, there's aborted chickens flying around.
Seriously, teaching children to be "good sports" is like trying to teach a dog not to sniff assholes. What can you do, really? You can't be honest.. "look honey, I know you're upset that you only got 3 eggs, but to be fair you looked like a retard out there. You could have picked up like 700 eggs in the time it took you to figure out that there were no eggs hiding under your feet, and that a 6' vertical jump is simply impossible for a 3 year old. Next time pick up the fucking eggs that are right next to you and let the other kids waste time seeing who can fall out of a tree the fastest."
The only thing you can really do is shove them in a room (if you have one available) until they learn that antisocial behavior results in social seclusion, although clearly some people never learn.
Anyway, this is getting OT, so in conclusion: you should keep your passwords in a safe-deposit box, keep a key with your estate trustee, and instruct the bank not to let them in unless you're dead. Unless you have kids, in which case I'm going with the OP's suggestion. Turnabout is fair play after all.
Re:Very simple.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why would my relatives need to nose around my private data and accounts when I die?
In my opinion, that's the wrong question. My address book in on the phone which has a PIN and my computer's encrypted so only those that heard it from my closest family or my work group would know. All my friends would simply see the phone go unanswered, mails without reply but most wouldn't realize what had happened. They'd probably think I was mad at them or ignoring them or just too lazy to bother to check for such possibilities. I suppose my parents knows a few of my friends who'd know other friends and so on and cover most that way, but not everyone. My private life is my private life to death and beyond, but it would be nice to enable someone to send out a message to let everyone know what had happened and provide some closure. Also for anyone who'd want to attend the funeral, there's a point in letting them know and not realize a month later when they do some real follow-up. I do think I have a few friends outside my clique where that would be a very real possibility, where I'd be confused and sad over their silent disappearance.
Re:Very simple.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Make it easier. The safe deposit box only contains a piece of paper with a master password.
All the real passwords are in one text file that I randomly email people with instructions on how to get someone who knows Linux to open it (basically "openssl bf -d -a") once they have the password.
True story: One day I was on a plane journey that almost didn't make it; just switched on my cell phone (couldn't have made things any worse, trust me!) and sms'd the password to my brother... [changed it afterwards when the plane landed OK; not enough sinners on it I suppose]