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.
Evan Carroll and John Romano, the creators of TheDigitalBeyond.com, can help 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.
Check out this Fresh Air feature!
"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." - Daniel "Dazza" Greenwood, Executive
Director of the eCitizen Foundation
"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." - David Eagleman, neuroscientist
and author
John Romano works as an interaction designer, technology researcher, and cultural observer. His work centers on the mass adoption of digital tools and the ways they are changing how we interact with each other. When he isn’t writing or speaking, he is designing websites, building stuff in the garage with his son, or riding his motorcycle. John holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design degree from the North Carolina State University College of Design.
Evan Carroll is an experience designer and researcher. His passion is observing how people interact with technology and using that insight to create user-centered products and services—a passion that led him to study the digital afterlife. In Evan’s spare time, you’ll find him pulling for the Tar Heels or escaping the digital world at the North Carolina coast. Evan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Science and has completed additional graduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Information and Library Science.