# A final message, what do you say and what media to use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 24, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586 "2008-07-24T05:05:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/1 "2008-07-24T05:05:04Z")
Ok I’ve been thinking about recording a final meassage to be played in the event of my death. What would you say? I would just say exactly what Kirk says in his video, preferably dressed as JTK. What ‘media’ should I use? Will VHS be around in 40 years? I’d hate to have my final message found on an unusable format. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/2 "2008-07-24T05:19:50Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Will VHS be around in 40 years? I’d hate to have my final message found on an unusable format. [/QUOTE] If anyone cared enough, they’d find a way to play anything you record. We can still play vinyl records, if you want to make a recording on that. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/3 "2008-07-24T08:58:52Z")
What’s wrong with the good old fashioned written bit that you get someone else to read? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/4 "2008-07-24T09:22:14Z")
Record it on DVD, then hide it in a Chinese puzzle box, which is buried behind a secret panel in the wall of a mansion, which can only be found after solving a fiendish substitution cipher, that is assembled from a scavenger hunt of letters, that the family will be guided to, by your lawyer sending out letters and emails, at the rate of one per day, for a year. Or make a hologram. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/5 "2008-07-24T09:24:51Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Record it on DVD, then hide it in a Chinese puzzle box, which is buried behind a secret panel in the wall of a mansion, which can only be found after solving a fiendish substitution cipher, that is assembled from a scavenger hunt of letters, that the family will be guided to, by your lawyer sending out letters and emails, at the rate of one per day, for a year. [/QUOTE] AKA Windows Vista. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/6 "2008-07-24T13:41:32Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Record it on DVD, then hide it in a Chinese puzzle box, which is buried behind a secret panel in the wall of a mansion, which can only be found after solving a fiendish substitution cipher, that is assembled from a scavenger hunt of letters, that the family will be guided to, by your lawyer sending out letters and emails, at the rate of one per day, for a year. Or make a hologram. [/QUOTE] Did you read about that apt in NYC that was like that? ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/7 "2008-07-24T13:43:19Z")
[QUOTE=Lakai] If anyone cared enough, they’d find a way to play anything you record. [/QUOTE] Therein lies the problem. I’m pretty sure that I need something that will be easy to play. I don’t own a VCR anymore. Maybe I’ll record a video and store it on my computer. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/8 "2008-07-24T14:17:13Z")
I want the breathtakingly-perfect worldwide audio system that the Vogons used to announce their demolition of the earth. What I would _say_ would be a mystery until the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/9 "2008-07-24T14:20:37Z")
Ehh, just make a mix tape. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/10 "2008-07-24T14:21:08Z")
Does ‘burning something into the surface of the moon with a giant laser in large enough letters to be legible from earth’ count as a medium? If it does, ‘Ha, Ha!’. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/11 "2008-07-24T14:40:55Z")
I probably would have recommended appearing to your family as an apparition to deliver the message, but looking at how well that worked out for Hamlet’s family… ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/12 "2008-07-24T14:46:49Z")
I’ve always been kind of spooked by those recordings that begin with the person looking into the camera and saying something along the lines of _By the time you see this, I will be dead_. Like the [public awareness message](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNjunlWUJJI) Yul Brynner made about smoking and lung cancer (which he died of). ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/13 "2008-07-24T15:04:52Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Did you read about that apt in NYC that was like that? [/QUOTE] Yeah, I did. Though my actual inspiration for my post was the _National Treasure_ movies. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/14 "2008-07-24T15:07:44Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Maybe I’ll record a video and store it on my computer. [/QUOTE] If you do that, also rig up your 'puter to auto delete any really wacky porn if someone attempts to view it without entering a password. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/15 "2008-07-24T15:13:41Z")
I think if I was a Star ship Captain and needed to provide secret destruction codes or something then I would do this. Since I’m not, I can’t even imagine bringing myself to do this. I’d much rather smile in person, say I love you, and then perish. Hopefully while in fairly decent health and not a bed-ridden vegetable. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/16 "2008-07-24T15:14:31Z")
“Tree hunnert fifty gees. . . unda da dubba-yuh.” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/17 "2008-07-24T16:24:00Z")
The location of the holy grail is the castle AAAAaaahhhhhhhhhhhhrrrrgg. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/18 "2008-07-25T12:05:47Z")
I would put it on my gravestone. “See, I told you I was sick.” Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/19 "2008-07-25T18:04:11Z")
I just want to be buried face-down so everyone can kiss my ass! (stolen from _That 70’s Show_) ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2008, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586/20 "2008-07-25T19:42:47Z")
The answer to 14 k of g in an f p d is… _dies_ Naw, I’d probably just do something boring and tell my family I love them, and when they die to bring pie. (Oh no, two tired SDMB cliches in one post!) Oh, and **GorillaMan** , I lol’d. (now a 4chan meme. Somebody alert the internet police!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-final-message-what-do-you-say-and-what-media-to-use/457586.md?page=2)