I was thinking the other day - what’s going to happen to my social media personas/profiles/accounts when I die? I’m hoping that this doesn’t become a real issue for quite some time, but just the idea of it caused me to question - I wonder how long it will be until people begin to make specifc (and legal) stipulations about their social media presences in their last wills.

Seriously though, when are we going to read a news story that says: Mr. So-and-So has indicated that he would like his Facebook status to read: blah blah blah, that he’d like his grandson to update this status every month with the following list of quotes. Additionally, he would like his Twitter Account to respond with the following DM: blah blah blah to any new followers.

Or how about this - when is there going to be an app written that you can pre-populate/stipulate/dictate your SM behavior once you’ve left us and have gone on to that better place? [interested? ive already got user-cases and wireframes]

I’m pretty sure Facebook might have a policy on this, but I didn’t care enough to look it up.

I’m interested - what do you want your social media presences to do once you die songs of love hate download mp3 ? How will you take care of it? What is your list of requests? Let me know.

I think this is important to bring up. In the past 6 months, two of my facebook friends have passed away. One friend & one family member. Both really young (in their 30’s), both way before their time.

Both Facebook pages are still up. I think it’s somewhat comforting that they are there and you can write on their wall when you are missing them. Although, I do wonder how long they will remain up and how the family handles that.

As for me, hopefully, by that time (at least another 50 years!) I will be too old to care!

Careful Nick, you may spawn yet another fad here, the need to create Social Media Wills.

Interesting topic, a co-worker of mine, @missoh had a similar post on her blog about a week ago.

I’m sure there are people and policies out there to “take care” of the details when we pass. Part of me prefers this method vs yet another artificial layer of compliance- {if no tweet in x time assume dead run goto subroutine #8}.

Course we could just consider that we just stop updating, our participation in the system just ends. Our digital living memory remains- much like it remains in the buffers of a search engine. If fact at that point we’re a painful memory to some, a living memory or representation of what we were to others.

No easy way to slice it. Its a good question but a hard one to answer and everyone will be entitled to their specific take- designing for that could be a nightmare.

What are the best practices of wrapping up individual contribution to the social media web due to loss of life? Ugh depressing!

Last year I lost a friend from high school to cancer and he only had a Myspace Page. Turns out that today, his brother maintains it, and has not deleted it. I am not sure how long that is going to stay alive in the Social Networking spectrum but it is a great way for him to communicate about fundraisers in honor of his lost brother.

Nick, this is unbelievably timely because I have been thinking about death and social media ever since yesterday when a good friend of mine passed away. She was the glue that held together a big bunch of friends, and the thought that I may never see them again after her funeral is really hard. I was thinking of starting a Facebook group for her friends but then I wondered…is that tacky? Is it exploitative in some way? Should I have done it while she was still alive if I was going to do it? I’m filled with remorse and uncertain if social media is appropriate at all at a time like this. It’s a tough one. I do wish she had a Facebook page that I could go visit right now, that’s for sure.

Nick,

A thought-provoking post. I have a friend who passed away late last year, in her early 30s, unexpectedly. Her LinkedIn is still up, and I noticed that she’s still in my address book. I think about the scene in the movie Amelie where the old man is sadly erasing the name of a deceased friend. I won’t remove her from my contact list—because I still think about her a lot. Virtual presence–online and in our hearts—continues after life.

Kim

As per my belief that age/generation greatly dictates usage and views of social media/networks (even for the gurus out there) I think it plays a role here, too.

Were I to die, I WOULD actually want my personas to “live on”. I would really like to compile a bank of inspirational quotes, articles and links and have them rotate. If anything, I would want to continue, in some way, to inspire my friends, family and network even when I’m gone. It’s what they know me for now, and I’d love to perpetuate that.

I have a fraternity brother who passed the summer after we graduated, right before he started medical school. His parents actually assumed control of his FB account and actively communicate through it. It was their way to peek into his life. They’ve developed close relationships with many of his friends and have started a foundation with all of our help. As well, we continue to post on his wall. We (again age/generational here) are all digital. The ability to pull up a profile, interact with it (even if only one way) and watch others doing so versus looking at a prayer card is more meaningful.

Nick,

I don’t know if you remember Ally Gross from Watterson. She was a year older than us. I guess she died recently and her fiance is maintaining her facebook so that people are able to post thoughts and prayers on her wall.