Your Digital Afterlife (eBook)

Almost without realizing it, we have stopped saving our memories in photo albums, home movies, and letters, and have transitioned to almost total digital storage of such assets and information. Bank statements and credit card bills that we used to receive by mail and file away are now stored and accessed on the internet. If we don't take steps to make all this information available to our heirs, our personal legacies could be lost forever. Written by the creators of thedigitalbeyond.com, this book explains the challenges, and offers solutions to make sure survivors can have access to this valuable material. It also explores different online memorial sites, which can do everything from notifying your email list when you die, to providing a place where survivors can post their memories.Almost without realizing it, we have shifted toward an all-digital culture. Future heirlooms like family photos, home movies, and personal letters now exist only in digital form, and in many cases they are stored using popular services like Flickr, YouTube, and Gmail. These digital possessions form a rich collection that chronicles our lives and connects us to each other. But have you considered what will happen to your treasured digital possessions when you die? Unfortunately the answer isn't as certain as we might presume. There are numerous legal, cultural, and technical issues that could prevent access to these assets, and if you don't take steps to make them available to your heirs, your digital legacy could be lost forever. Written by the creators of TheDigitalBeyond.com, this book helps you secure your valuable digital assets for your loved ones and perhaps posterity. Whether you're the casual email user or the hyper-connected digital dweller, you'll come away with peace of mind knowing that your digital heirlooms won't be lost in the shuffle. "e;Death is the final frontier of cyberspace-and this book provides a road map to the key issues, problems and future prospects for bridging this ultimate transition with dignity, security and grace."e; - Daniel "e;Dazza"e; Greenwood, Executive Director of the eCitizen Foundation "e;To be ahead of one's time usually means stepping to the side of one's time in order to see it clearly. This book does just that, putting our digital lives and afterlives into sharp focus. Fascinating."e; - David Eagleman, neuroscientist and author