Death Logs On
	found on the Baltimore City Paper written by stevetherobot, edited by George (Plastic) [ read unedited ] posted Wed 7 Jul 7:55am
		More than a year after his death, Aaron Huth continues to haunt those who knew him. His profile on the behemoth six-degrees-of-separation Web site Friendster.com still lets people know that in May of 2003 he was listening to bands like the Birthday Party and the Postal Service and reading Nietzsche. His likes and interests were frozen for posterity on May 26, 2003, the last time he logged into the site. While Huth's 12 listed Friendster friends haven't heard from him since May 29, the day he passed away, each time they log on to the site they are simultaneously reminded of his life and his death. The current story about death rites brought up the question of what will happen when a Plastician dies. How will Plastic learn about the death? Will Plastic ever even find out, or will everyone be left to wonder what happened to them? Online communities have existed since the BBS's of the 80's so there have doubtlessly been many deaths among them. Despite the reality of death there has not emerged an online etiquette of death.

	With acquaintances all over the country, if not the globe, multiple e-mail accounts and messenger screen names, various message-board and profile-site accounts, mailing lists that flood in boxes, PayPal accounts, e-banking accounts, and online video-game accounts, those who die with well-developed online presences can have far more of an effect on the lives of those who survive them than do those without a computer at all. Some sites have policies to deal with the death of members, but it is not easy for survivors to establish that the person is really dead. It is likely that many grieving or indifferent survivors will not be able or willing to take the necessary steps. User Not Found is a blog that that is devoted to the subject of death in online communities. For those who want to take matters into their own hands mylastemail.com allows you to leave messages to those you care about, to be emailed after your death. afterlife.org is an organization whose mission is to archive Web sites after their authors die.

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show almost all: 56 commentsbest: 16 comments by oldest first (ignore threads) newest first highest scores first oldest first newest first (ignore threads)

1.  death of a Plastard   by davidpalter       at Wed 7 Jul 8:04am score of 2 clever     Although we can never really be certain when we will die and what the cause of death will be, I expect that I will have some advance knowledge of my own death, and I will post a note about it in my profile, in case anyone feels the need to find out why there are no more comments being posted by me. If I were really to be conscientious about it, I could also leave instructions in my will, asking the executor to post this information on my behalf if I haven't already done so myself, and of course stating my password and user name in the will, so that the executor will be able to do this. However, I doubt that I will be that conscientious. So there is some possibility that at some unknown future date, my participation in Plastic will cease mysteriously, and no one will ever know why. Of course, it is also true that since I am using my real name (David Palter) it would not be that difficult for someone to find a newspaper notice of my death. So I would be among the less mysterious Plasticians to die. Others might be harder to investigate, if they were to stop posting comments. But then, it's probably not that important for anyone to know about it, anyway, at least in most cases. In the case of a major contributor to Plastic, such as one of our editors, or frequent story submitters such as MAYORBOB, there would be a major impact to the death of that person, and we would certainly want to know about it. — dp   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

2.  Re: death of a Plastard   by dodgyfella       at Wed 7 Jul 8:31am score of 1.5 novel   in reply to comment 1     >Although we can never really be certain when we >will die and what the cause of death will be, I >expect that I will have some advance knowledge >of my own death, and I will post a note about ?>it in my profile I wonder about having 'some advance knowledge' of one's own death. I'm assuming, rightly or wrongly, that the majority (certainly not exclusively) of users of site such as Plastic (et al) are not senior citizens. More succinctly, if one of "us" should die, I would imagine that it would be the result of a chronic illness, or a sudden accident, rather than a "natural" death. If The End comes as a result of chronic illness, then I would imagine most folks would have the opportunity to post a note stating as such (whether communities like Plastic would have that much mental currency when an individual is in their last days is difficult to say). For folks who unfortunately die suddenly, as the result of an accident, it will probably be much more difficult to notify the community at large. In your case, I think you're right: if you should be unexpectedly absent for a period of time, a Google search of the user's real name (as in your case) should (might) turn up news of whatever befell you. I've read in some cases tech-savvy partners or parents sending out e-mail to on-line collaborators to let them know. Perhaps I'll save a juicy file "my awful secrets" on my desktop; once opened, I'll ask the reader to e-mail a certain list of folks, and perhaps embellish the story of my death a little. -df   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   19.  Re: death of a Plastard   by Minister of Inferior       at Wed 7 Jul 10:55am score of 1   in reply to comment 2     More succinctly, if one of "us" should die, I would imagine that it would be the result of a chronic illness, or a sudden accident, rather than a "natural" death. You're forgetting suicide, one of the prime causes of death among people "our" age. Among people aged 15 — 24 around 15% of all deaths are suicides, for other age brackets I don't know off hand, but it's a high figure. If there is any case when one knows about death before it happens, it is in the case of suicide. I sincerely hope that's not what David was talking about. someone you trust is one of us   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   33.  Re: death of a Plastard   by davidpalter       at Wed 7 Jul 2:41pm score of 1   in reply to comment 19     Considering the heated discussion which we have had on another topic (tangential to the exploration of the Saturn system) I am happy to see that you nontheless hope that I am not suicidal. I can honestly say that I do not desire the suicide of any Plastician, even those who have expressed their hatred of me and have been duly blocked as a result. We disagree about lots of things, but we can still respect eachother as human beings. In any event, you are quite right in pointing out that of all causes of death, suicide is the most predictable for those who choose it. Even the most terminal of illness does not yield such a clear timetable of death. I have no immediate plans to kill myself, although I would not rule out the possibility. There are certainly some circumstances which I would not be willing to endure, even if death was the only alternative. And those circumstances may arise. We shall see. — dp   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   9.  Re: death of a Plastard   by funkman       at Wed 7 Jul 9:31am score of 2.5 funny   in reply to comment 1     How do we know MAYORBOB has not already died and has been replaced? Think Dread Pirate Roberts Yet another blog: http://blogdayafternoon.com/   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   32.  replacement of a Plastard   by davidpalter       at Wed 7 Jul 1:50pm score of 1.5 astute   in reply to comment 9     There was a time about two years ago when I was retired from Plastic (temporarily as it turns out, although at the time I was not sure that I would return), and another Plastician suggested to me that he might be interested in taking over my identity. I considered this to be a bad idea, because his style of writing is entirely different from mine, and the result would be very incongruous. In the case of MAYORBOB, there may be someone who can write like him, but there can't be very many such writers. His replacement seems unlikely. — dp   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   55.  Plastic Seance   by mcmath61       at Thu 8 Jul 5:17pm score of 1   in reply to comment 1     If I suddenly stop posting, then, in the words of my favorite pinball machine, Knock Three Times.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   58.  Butt   by Anonymous Idiot       at Thu 8 Jul 7:36pm score of 0.5 scholarly   in reply to comment 1     Butt   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

3.  A Plastic cemetery   by anykey       at Wed 7 Jul 8:49am score of 3 clever     I can see it — rows of tombstone icons bearing the members sig on a green background. When clicked the icons could reveal random words of wisdom for the members past posts. Yeah, and I can also see little gophers and pesky geese in the cemetery with a shooting gallery java applet. Let us devote to unselfishness the frenzy we once gave gold and underpants ~ Vonnegut   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

6.  Re: A Plastic cemetery   by Linux Ate My Dog!       at Wed 7 Jul 9:13am score of 1   in reply to comment 3     I am now really worried about the soundtrack to that. "He's old school." -- byrne   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   8.  Re: A Plastic cemetery   by davidtheobscure       at Wed 7 Jul 9:27am score of 2.5 informative   in reply to comment 6     if any online tribute to my life were to mistakenly happen, I will find a way to haunt any soulless bastards who play this music in the tribute. Honestly...this stupid song has been burned into my soul. Damn everyone who allowed this to happen. Why is Man not God, and Earth a Heaven? - Alexander Pope   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   13.  Re: A Plastic cemetery   by lego       at Wed 7 Jul 10:27am score of 2 funny   in reply to comment 8     ..must click david's link..no..No..NO! must resist...yes: click the link: must discover truth behind david's misery...fool! deny the temptation to imprinted phonetic doom...no..no..cannot..con-trol.. BOOM! talent like ours carries such enormous responsibility. it's tough being the sole guardian of high culture.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   41.  Re: A Plastic cemetery   by Hirightnow       at Wed 7 Jul 8:24pm score of 1   in reply to comment 8     You, sir (badgerbadger) are (badgerbadger) an EVIL MAN (african snaaaake). Tomorrow never knows   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

4.  We've often said we need a Plastic Obit Section.   by MAYORBOB       at Wed 7 Jul 9:04am score of 2.5 intriguing     Oh, that was an obit section to run on Plastic for all those people in the real world who die and nobody feels is important enough to do a write up on. I'm wondering if having an actual thread or two devoted to dead or dying Plasticians is not a mark that Plastic is turning a corner somewhere along the line. I mean the site is only like about three and a half years old and, despite the fact that the front page trumpets the 40,000 members, that number is hinky, to say the least. That's just the number of people who have taken the time to sign up for a plastic account since the very beginning. I would be willing to bet that there are no more than about 100 to 200 active participants who show up with regularity. Along the way we've had any number of comers and goers with little word on what actually happened to them. And given the fact that the logistics for announcing your demise can be complicated, to say the least, perhaps the ones who remain and play in carl's sandbox would do best to do what a virtual community should to remember the departed — hold a virtual ceremony. Once a year, carl can emerge from his master bedroom/server facility and lead us in prayer or remembrance (cause not all of us are believers, don't cha know). At the end of which we all log off of Plastic for the appropriate moment of peace allowing us the time to write out a check to send to carl. My wife and daughters know to post a submission to the subqueue using my Plastic account. It will read as follows: "Dear Plasticians. This is MAYORBOB. The rumors of my passing are not exaggerated at all as I have gone to room temperature by the time you read this. To all who thought well of me and my time on Plastic, it was a real hoot. To all my AI admirers, are you happy now? Tending to final details.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

54.  Re: We've often said we need a Plastic Obit   by dolohov       at Thu 8 Jul 2:27pm score of 1   in reply to comment 4     It's clever, but that might be a mite painful for your wife or daughters to type when the time comes. My advice, which I will get around to following one day, is to put a text file in an obvious spot on your computer with various instructions, and maybe messages that someone can just cut-and-paste. Every time you get a new computer, put that file in that same place. If you don't want to put passwords in plain text on your computer, write them out on paper and stick it in your safe-deposit box. (Don't put it in your will; that's a public document, or will be eventually. Don't leave it with your wife — trust me) "Carthago delenda est" -- Cato (in the world's first .sig)   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

5.  Reports Of My Death   by Josh of Arc       at Wed 7 Jul 9:11am score of 1.5 irrelevant     ... Will Go Unheeded. The current story about death rites brought up the question of what will happen when a Plastician dies Unless I can get a decent Internet connection in the afterlife, I have been kicking around the idea of passing my Plastic username and password onto a friend with a similar worldview. That person will be expected to continue making irrelevant posts on Plastic in my memory. Anyone disagreeing with those posts in my name will be given the address of my graveyard and invited to meet me there to "back up those words in person, big man!" - J Compassionate Conservative [k&m-'pa-sh(&-)n&t k&n-'s&r-v&-tiv]: A regular conservative who just talks slower   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

7.  Glad This Came Up   by SacredGroundChuck       at Wed 7 Jul 9:15am score of 2 nuanced     I've wondered about these things too — how, just like the books and music and clothing we have when we die making a testament to our lives, our computers and the trails we left are something different, more personal. I don't know how many of us write in diaries or journals, but the online works can add up to something just as substantial and personal, even though it's being seen on a world-wide community. A friend of mine passed away around last November, and we used to e-mail a lot when we couldn't talk on the phone; sometimes we'd IM each other when we were on compatible systems. I haven't erased her e-mails, and I'm trying to find the best way to archive them. Just burning them onto a CD won't help; I feel I need something more substantial and warm, like a printed copy of our correspondence. And I suppose that I'll have to include with my Last Will &Testament, or whatever my death instructions will be (among things like "everyone at my funeral has to wear a clown nose") would be for my wife or other designated person to send an obit here as a QL. I forsee something like this included in LW&Ts rather soon, with the impact of an online life as opposed to a flesh and blood one beginning to be recognized. Perhaps some industry will open up, with obit sites where you can see the dearly departed's personal page, with some even becoming shrines. This has probably already happened; I'm of the mind right now not to investigate this too closely, due to the case of the heebie-jeebies that I get. "Did you know that the human brain is the only computer in the universe made of meat?"   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

38.  Re: Glad This Came Up   by WayneEarl       at Wed 7 Jul 5:34pm score of 1   in reply to comment 7     I've wondered about these things too — how, just like the books and music and clothing we have when we die making a testament to our lives, our computers and the trails we left are something different, more personal. If you really want to understand the soul of a man...take a look at his browser cache.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   53.  Re: Glad This Came Up   by Desipoet       at Thu 8 Jul 12:14pm score of 1   in reply to comment 38     true ...very true! thats why there are software that clean up cookies and the cache... leave no trace ;) on a more serious note.. as someone who has spent time in these 'online worlds' (be it chat rooms on irc, newsgroups, or forums like this one), I have often wondered about the human relationships that develop online between strangers. In fact, sometimes it seems like for every 'friend' we make, there are two detractors or people we piss off too! In my case, i have often wondered about one of my 'friends' from a poetry newsgroup I used to 'hang out' at in the mid-to-late 90s...knew she suffered from Muscular dystrophy too and her not being seen on the wide wild web in the last 5-6 years is rather disheartening. Where she is, hope she is happy and comfortable. A gutsy bold voice, you are — Janet!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

10.  Money making idea for Carl   by Tashtego       at Wed 7 Jul 10:05am score of 1     In exchange for a reasonable fee, Carl could record and store the engrams of Plasticians in the Plastic servers. After subscribers pass away, a 'post bot' could assume the identity of the deceased, and account activity would continue uninterrupted. Everybody wins — Plasticians could go to their dirt naps knowing that they're helping to keep Plastic up and running, Carl gets help with funding, and surviving Plasticians get to enjoy the company of their dear departed for years to come. In case you couldn't tell, I'm a big fan of William Gibson... Liberals are always right about everything.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

11.  Re: Money making idea for Carl   by Jonny 290       at Wed 7 Jul 10:13am score of 2.5 clever   in reply to comment 10     Or was the human you were DESIGNED AFTER a big fan of William Gibson? We're on to your schtick, X1746-3 Version 3.1. here to flip the script and channel your aggressions inside   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

12.  Famous Last Words   by Osomatic       at Wed 7 Jul 10:14am score of 4 funny     brb If carrots got you drunk, rabbits would be fucked up.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

27.  Re: Famous Last Words   by Dr Seltsam       at Wed 7 Jul 12:04pm score of 1   in reply to comment 12     Well, on /. it would probably be "Last Post!"...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

14.  been on my mind lately...   by juepucta       at Wed 7 Jul 10:31am score of 1     Can't say i have been thinking about this weird e-afterlife of sorts deal. I remember not long ago this arab reporter that was working with western media started a blog right before heading to Afghanistan (or Iraq, can't recall) and died after being there for a week and blogging a couple of times. Really eerie to see his blogging account there, still up, as a reminder. No idea if its still up, will try to find the URL for you guys. Also, a couple of weeks ago, a fellow Radiohead boardie passed away. His illness was one of those that makes you slowly fade out, still it was unsettling to arrive to the boards and see a "----- passed away last night" etc posting from a close friend of his. In this particular case, he asked, through this same friend, that in lieu of flowers and such, people support some of the cancer research centers and charities he had supported in life. Still weird. Thought i'd share. -G.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

16.  Re: been on my mind lately...   by juepucta       at Wed 7 Jul 10:33am score of 1.5 succinct   in reply to comment 14     First sentence should read: "Can't say i haven't been thinking about this weird e-afterlife of sorts deal lately" Dumbass me. -G.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   24.  Re: been on my mind lately...   by gonzocanuck       at Wed 7 Jul 11:47am score of 1   in reply to comment 14     Those kinds of things bother me too...I think back to my early days of the net and wonder how the mostly anonymous AspenOnliners are doing. Whatever happened to Cocktoastin, Gunter, Todd in PA, etc. Reading discontinued blogs is always creepy, and reading suicide notices online always makes me wonder if someone had killed themselves or just their online persona. Years ago (1997, 1998-ish), there was an REM fan page in Geocities that I used to visit. It was made by a 13 year old boy in Britain, and I was quite impressed with his little tribute site. Then one day I visited and there was a note about how the author had been killed in a car accident. I felt bad for a while because, like so many other things, I had meant to sign his guestbook or drop him a note. The site was still around until last year, but now it's gone. It was eerie to see it stuck in time whenever I visited. I can't remember his name any more. But, you know, "for whom the bell tolls" and all that. :\ You've got to coax him slow, that's the only way that he'll confess.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

15.  What I've been able to do when this happens   by waldeaux       at Wed 7 Jul 10:33am score of 1     I've been running a "white/yellow pages" portal site for a little over 10 years now (yes, when Mosaic was the browser of choice and Netscape version 0.X was "new"). In dealing with the thousands of personal listings, every few months I'll get an e-mail from someone informing me that someone there has passed away. There's really no way to predict when this will happen, obviously. One thing my site does is require profile updates within a year (even just visiting the edit page is sufficient) to keep things active (and the expiration date bumps up to a year from edit in the process), so anyone who doesn't come back goes inactive after a year. Presumably some of those people aren't coming back because they're not coming back — ever. One guy who was a friend DID pass away at the beginning of the year, and I had to go in and turn off his profile. I don't know what Plastic does in terms of ancient accounts that aren't used anymore... Is there an expiration time period? I did it chiefly to minimize link rot but also to avoid username burn. Life is a peanut butter and liverwurst sandwich --- Me, 1977   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

18.  the time i died on friendster   by Seven Six       at Wed 7 Jul 10:44am score of 2.5 novel     On Friendster, I'm dead. If you look me up and insult me to the stars, I'll never hear of it. If you send sexy pictures of yourself, I'll never see them. If you invite me to a duel — or a date — or both! — I'll never respond. On Friendster I'm a zombie, yet I live to tell the tale. It started innocently enough. When Friendster first came out, I didn't trust it. I thought the site might delude me with spam, or worse; I hedged my bets by submitting a temporary account. My account, from spamgourmet.com, works like this: you can send a certain number of emails to your temporary mailbox, but no more. Once you exceed that predetermined amount (set by you), every subsequent email is instantly deleted. You can probably guess what happened. I gave Friendster an account that would accept about twenty emails, and no more. Then I put up my profile and got a few messages, from friends, admirers, troublemakers. Each time I did, my quota decremented by one; I never paid attention, even though its noted on the subject line of each email. At some point it must have dipped below zero, but this also escaped my notice. Shit happened. My computer crashed, requiring a clean install. When I tried to log in again, it asked me for my password. I'd forgotten about that; before, I'd told my computer to remember the password, so I hadn't had to re-enter it since registration. I took a guess as to what my password must have been; that, and many others, were all wrong. I could mail myself my password... but my mail was closed, the quota full up. So I'm locked out of Friendster. I can't mail my password to myself, because in order to log in to change my email I need my password, and in order to get my password I need a new email. And all because my temporary account is doing its job a little too well. So my account and I are unofficially divorced. The pity is, no one who writes me has any way of knowing this. Everything else looks real: the profiles from friends, the pictures, the topical notes. As far as they can tell, I'm a guy with musical and movie preferences that seem a little dated from, oh, about a year and a half ago, but recent enough nonetheless. Yet I never write back, no matter how much they tell me, how well we knew each other, or how much my profile says I might want to hear from them. On Friendster, for all practical purposes, I'm dead. This is a way around this, of course. I could go to the trouble to mount a new profile, and replace the old one with the new one in my friend's accounts. But I'm too lazy, so for now, I'm content to just let the old one harvest mail while I have no idea what's going on with it. The way I see it, Bill Gates has tracked me down and offered me a billion dollars, Britney Spears and Angelina Jolie are desperately bidding for my attention, and John Kerry is begging for my counsel because, on the bright side, reality doesn't have to interfere with my Friendster anymore.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

52.  Re: the time i died on friendster   by Stevis       at Thu 8 Jul 12:03pm score of 1.5 helpful   in reply to comment 18     I hate to break your wonderful story, but you can go to spamgourmet.com and "recharge" your temporary address--you can set it up to receive more emails. Figure I'd tell you in case you actually want to resurrect yourself. We've got two lives, one we're given, and the other one we make.--Mary Chapin Carpenter   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

21.  Quick! Hurry up and die!   by Minister of Inferior       at Wed 7 Jul 11:07am score of 2 funny     Isn't it a little unsettling that the mylastemail service boasts a big "free 30 day trial" on the front page? someone you trust is one of us   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

22.  Old Plasticians Never Die...   by keta       at Wed 7 Jul 11:12am score of 1     ..they just become anonymous idiots. And please, all this talk of death is upsetting. I'm still not over the demise of Princess Di (or Princess Dead, as she's now fondly remembered.) own your words...   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

23.  my plastic last will...   by jbou       at Wed 7 Jul 11:47am score of 1     Where to begin? I've got lots of karma, the person who posts the funniest joke gets my karma. So bring on the jokes folks, by the time I die my karma should be up in the 5 figures. And for christsake do not mourn my passing, make jokes at my expense, and throw a party remembering all the times I misspelled, misused, and pretty much acted like an irrational putz. And to gerrymander, I leave a little jbou mojo so he can finally be popular with the ladies. Arguments have no chance against petrified training; they wear it as little as the waves wear a cliff.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

47.  Re: my plastic last will...   by ideonode       at Thu 8 Jul 5:35am score of 1.5   in reply to comment 23     Homer: So you're selling what? Apu: Karmic realignment. Homer: You can't sell that. Karma can only be apportioned by the universe.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

25.  Why should I care?   by solid-one-love       at Wed 7 Jul 11:50am score of 2.5 informative     After all, it's not like any of you are people.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

26.  consider me dead   by Goliard       at Wed 7 Jul 11:57am score of 2 compelling     or riddle me this- if an old plastician dies, and nobody ever visits their bio, does their body still stink? yes. if my e-mails and blog are all that survive my death, well...ick. in fact it makes me want to delete my blog right now, just thinking about it. this is just self-important blather this is just self-important blather this is just self-important blather this is just self-important blather this is just self-important blather see? the words lose importance after the second line, don't they?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

39.  Re: consider me dead   by thefadd       at Wed 7 Jul 6:41pm score of 1.5 nuanced   in reply to comment 26     this is just self-important blather Except that it demonstrated a point and thus gained +compelling relevance. So you're wrong, except that makes you right. I'm skeptical of any fairy-based morality system.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

28.  It's easy to get the word out   by bitter_engineer       at Wed 7 Jul 12:51pm score of 1     All you have to do is make sure that you die in a wild enough way that a story about it gets posted. Currently, I'm thinking about trying to kill Kim Jong-il and getting capped by his bodyguards, but if that doesn't work out, there's always "coverage retroactively denied by HMO" for the Work section, or the old "Eaten by Lizards" standby Non estat prandium gratuitum   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

31.  jong-illin'   by lego       at Wed 7 Jul 1:39pm score of 1   in reply to comment 28     i am not inciting. i do not advocate. i merely state that it would be of interest, of interest, mind you, were you to re-direct your energies (wink-wink) towards certain, shall we say, un-named scary-ass people closer to washington? (wink-wink-twitch) talent like ours carries such enormous responsibility. it's tough being the sole guardian of high culture.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

30.  Morbid Thoughts   by uncarved block       at Wed 7 Jul 1:35pm score of 2 intriguing     As a bicyclist, the constant possibility of death or injury is always around*, so this topic doesn't give me the heebie jeebies like it might some others. The technological changes interest me; unlike paper, not everything will be readily available for a relative to look through, or easy to access. Does your SO know all your passwords? What if you die together-- will important info be lost, or irretrievable?       I heard a story on NPR years ago about two women who ran a company that cleaned up crime scenes. It all started when one asked herself, "who is supposed to clean up after a murder?", and found out the answer was 'nobody'. So, after a shooting or suicide, the family or landlord were supposed to do so, no matter how distressing it might be personally. After a while, the business expanded: one episode of Insomniac has Dave following one such guy around in Vegas, IIRC.       On a less sinister note, I wonder if this kind of service will become part of tech support, as computers become more and ubiquitous. Think about how "personal" your computer really is: jpegs of events or people, applications, porn, saved e-mails, credit info even, and the group memberships mentioned in the writeup. Will there be a group of techies who specialize in discretely closing out your computer postmortem? Does this already exist? Cleaning out the closet is one thing; finding out dad had a big leather fetish is quite another, and I can see paying someone to avoid finding out everything while you're still grieving.       In my personal example, my family knows full well how much time I spend here (I talk about Plastic enough!), so should I end up as a hood ornament one of these days, y'all will probably hear about it. Whether I'll be missed by more than a few of you is something I'd rather not think about . . .       *This isn't meant as bragging or pessimism, but a simple statement. Anyone who bikes, or rides a motorcycle regularly, would say the same. Cars are awfully dangerous things when you're on the outside. Eschew Obfuscation Assiduously   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

35.  Let me tell you a little story about Water-looooo   by Anonymous Idiot       at Wed 7 Jul 4:10pm score of 1 helpful     Leela: "What are your plans for retirement, Bender?" Bender "I plan on switching my ON/OFF switch to the OFF position."   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

40.  my last breath   by Anonymous SidVicious       at Wed 7 Jul 7:26pm score of 1     Here's a www.reuters.com link displaying some good old-fashioned American know-how: "Robert Barrows, of Burlingame, California has filed a patent application for a video-equipped tombstone that will display a video message from grave's occupant. (...) The hollow, talking tombstone will include a flat touch screen and will house a computer with a microchip memory or hard disc. It will be powered by electricity from the cemetery's lighting system. The plan will not be the first electronically enhanced tombstone. An American company has a patent on a gravestone that will display photographs of the deceased and tributes from friends, according to the magazine." And, on that note, I'll just go on being dead. Remember kids, heroin is a one-way ticket straight to hell!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

43.  Cycle of life   by Resonance       at Thu 8 Jul 12:05am score of 1   in reply to comment 40     If upon your death you become reincarnated and Plastic is still around in enough years for your new avatar to become a Plastard, could I assume that you get to start out at the same karma level?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   45.  Re: Cycle of life   by lucas_m       at Thu 8 Jul 1:14am score of 1   in reply to comment 43     Yes, if you can remember your password. Moi, j'aime ricocher.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]   49.  Re: my last breath   by SilkyJazz       at Thu 8 Jul 7:00am score of 1   in reply to comment 40     And if you Google the deceased, do it return a "404 — Not Found"?   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

44.  When I Die...   by thefadd       at Thu 8 Jul 12:34am score of 1.5 astute     ...I hope the karma I've accumulated on this site is enough to get me reincarnated as a person. Of course, I'd probably settle for being a gorilla, opposable thumbs and all. But gosh, typing with these paws sure is tough. I'm skeptical of any fairy-based morality system.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

61.  Re: When I Die...   by Minister of Inferior       at Fri 9 Jul 4:11am score of 1   in reply to comment 44     Ah, isn't that a bizarre thought? Your online personae has acquired so much karma that if you decide to close the account he will be reincarnated as a person in the flesh. Imagine meeting your Plastic alter ego in the shopping mall some day. Fodder for an übergeeky horror flick? someone you trust is one of us   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

46.  Seeing as I am in the prime of life   by chatsubo       at Thu 8 Jul 2:58am score of 2.5 clever     well 30, anyway, I reckon, given random terrorist attacks, car crashes, or auto-asphyxiation masturbation sessions gone horribly wrong, I have at least another thirty years, by which time news of my death will be sent out via everyone's brain implants, or cyborg monkeys, or whatever. That, and my plan to be buried in a 1000 meter high chrome pyramid, decorated with the skulls of my enemies, their children, and their pets. Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

48.  Yoiks   by SilkyJazz       at Thu 8 Jul 6:39am score of 1.5 succinct     The current story about death rites brought up the question of what will happen when a Plastician dies. Geeze ... talk about your exploding Plastic inevitable!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

51.  How different from meatspace* is this?   by vurt       at Thu 8 Jul 11:08am score of 2 astute     No really, folks: how often do you only learn years after the fact that someone you knew in the flesh is dead? This thread strikes me as intensely masturbatory, in an macabre sort of way. Perhaps when plastic has been around for 10 years this sort of corpse-navelgazing will be appropriate. If at some point I don't post for awhile, please assume whichever of the following you prefer: 1.) I'm dead 2.) I've gotten sick of having to sort through mounds of hateful/misogynist/stupid dreck--which, honestly, does seem a bit worse than usual just lately--to find intersting people to talk with, or 3.) I'm back overseas where 56k is about 20x cheaper than DSL, and I'm using a microfilm reader more than a computer. ___ * do people still use this term? I've been rereading some old Neal Stephenson lately and it's affecting my vocabulary. And if you're terminally bored / fall in behind the motorcade and lock the doors / money money!   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

60.  Wow, I'm gonna die?   by Nameless Cynic       at Thu 8 Jul 11:05pm score of 1.5 scholarly     I looked into it, and apparently, the average US white male has a life expectancy of 74.8 years. So, having hit 40 last October, I'm on the downhill run, really... On the other hand, do I regret that I'm statistically in the latter half of my life? Not really — what little I can remember of my childhood and teen years, I was a real prick, so that's no loss. On top of which, I've looked around at some of the winners in this country, and I think my mom was right: I'm well above average. Actually, I came to terms with my incipient mortality years ago — in fact, I've always considered that to be one of the one true marks of maturity. We still don't have a good answer whether you can be composted after death without killing off the plants that you want to grow out of your navel, but I'm not too concerned about my body's uses after I soft-shoe off this mortal coil — I have orders to harvest whatever they can use, pass the brain on to whoever thinks they can cure it and prevent a recurrence of me in the future, and dispose of the rest by the cheapest possible method. As for my post-mortem online existence. I might have my son log in here as me, just to let somebody rejoice at the news of my passing (nobody specific in mind — I know I've pissed a couple of people off, but only one person enough to block me — before I'd ever messaged him, but after he snarkily messaged me; go figure...). If nothing else, it might let Carl know to kill off (so to speak) my username, rather than just letting it wither, unused. Nah, on second thought, this might just be the only memorial I have. Carl, leave it up! Let people in the future know what a cock I could be without even trying hard. Sentio aliquos togatos contra me conspirare   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

63.  Maybe it's just because I'm older...   by Felix King       at Fri 9 Jul 10:22pm score of 1.5 astute     ...but I think there's something nice in just fading away; not letting anyone know, but just up and disappearing sometime. That way it's a bit of a mystery, but always it just lets you keep on existing as vague memories in someone's mind, slowly fading away to nothingness to be wholly forgotten in some amount of time. ...at least if you can't afford the mausoleum with the nightly laser light show and loudspeakers bellowing "REMEMBER ME! REMEMBER ME!". It's an either/or situation, folks.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]

64.  serious suggestion....   by itsjustajoy       at Fri 9 Jul 11:18pm score of 1     well on a serious note,probably a link to some kind of online database for dead people. (but this would be possible only if people gave in their real names an pin codes,i guess.) (reading-Interpreter of Maladies,Jhumpa Lahiri) if you agree or disagree with my opinions,meet me at my place.   [ ...reply just to this | comment on the story... | next new ]