# If you die an untimely death, are we (The Dope) ever gonna know? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479 "2013-02-06T12:49:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/1 "2013-02-06T12:49:24Z")
I know this is probably ten kinds of fucked up; but I’m a little miffed that if I were to die an untimely death, nobody in my circle would know to give you guys a heads up. It just kind of makes me wonder how the heck are we always finding out about our fallen Dopers. I assume they must be very vocal to their friends and family about this place. Something I am not. I don’t want my friends and family posting here. (Too much emotional baggage.) ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/2 "2013-02-06T12:54:00Z")
My husband is a member and occasionally reads and rarely posts. But I tell him about interesting threads, and about users who have died, so he’d know to inform the board. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/3 "2013-02-06T12:58:51Z")
There are a couple other Dopers nearby that might notice and report. ETA: if I did suddenly disappear, I’m sure a bunch of MMP regulars would be wondering what happened. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/4 "2013-02-06T13:03:17Z")
I’m Facebook Friends with a couple of regular Dopers. I suspect that if/when I die an untimely death, it will make it to Facebook, and they’ll report it here. I don’t know that any of my family members would think to log on and tell y’all, although they do know that I post here. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/5 "2013-02-06T13:09:49Z")
Money could be made from a program or iPhone app in this area. If instructed to by a third party, the phone posts an “x has died” message on all social media, and more importantly, deletes all your porn 🙂 A version for the elderly could have a dead man’s switch, which automatically texts your next of kin if they don’t check in every so often (for all I know, this one exists). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/6 "2013-02-06T13:10:38Z")
I specifically intend my death to be timely, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/7 "2013-02-06T13:14:01Z")
When I stop posting here, nobody on this site will know whether it’s because I’ve died or not. My brother and my wife are aware that I post here, and they both have been made aware of my user name in the past, but it’s extremely unlikely they’d think to come here and make an announcement in the event of my sudden demise. ---
**Author:** ![Other\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Other\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Other_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/8 "2013-02-06T13:20:28Z")
Well, I don’t have much of a history here, but yes you would be told when I died, presuming I am still a member of this forum by then and that anyone was even interested in knowing where I went. I came to this message board by way of another Doper. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/9 "2013-02-06T13:26:28Z")
My wife is a member here and would demand that the Dope avenge my untimely demise. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/10 "2013-02-06T13:28:22Z")
Yes-two members of my family post here. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/11 "2013-02-06T13:34:14Z")
> [@Double\_Foolscap](#): > > Money could be made from a program or iPhone app in this area. If instructed to by a third party, the phone posts an “x has died” message on all social media, and more importantly, deletes all your porn 🙂 > > A version for the elderly could have a dead man’s switch, which automatically texts your next of kin if they don’t check in every so often (for all I know, this one exists). [5 services to manage your online accounts after death](http://www.hacker10.com/computer-security/5-services-to-manage-your-online-accounts-after-death/) ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/12 "2013-02-06T13:41:13Z")
No, there’s no way you would possibly find out if I die since I haven’t told anyone who posts here my real name and none of my friends in real life would probably think of coming here to announce it. If I go like 5 years without logging in or posting, you can probably assume I’m dead and start mourning me. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/13 "2013-02-06T13:46:11Z")
I intend to take the Dope down with me. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/14 "2013-02-06T13:57:42Z")
Nope. My husband probably won’t even notice for a week, and he _lives_ with me. He’ll probably tell my mother and the crematorium, and that’s about it. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/15 "2013-02-06T14:06:07Z")
Nope. And with my history of posting for a while, then taking a haitus (time lapse ADD!), then returning for a while, it wouldn’t even seem unusual. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/16 "2013-02-06T14:07:14Z")
There are two members with whom I exchange emails several times a week. Both of them know enough about me to figure out how to contact my wife if I stopped responding to emails or texts. I’m pretty sure one of them would inform the board of my demise. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/17 "2013-02-06T14:27:51Z")
I have a co-worker that also posts, I think he came here because of a link I sent him. I don’t know how often he even reads or if he remembers my username, so I answered no above. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/18 "2013-02-06T14:32:24Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > There are two members with whom I exchange emails several times a week. Both of them know enough about me to figure out how to contact my wife if I stopped responding to emails or texts. I’m pretty sure one of them would inform the board of my demise. Ditto. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/19 "2013-02-06T14:34:57Z")
I was crushed, CRUSHED I tell ye, crushed like a can of pineapples some years back. This is simply a ghost in the machine still posting. Hey! Who turned out the lights? ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/20 "2013-02-06T14:39:18Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > I intend to take the Dope down with me. Heck, being the solipsist that I am, the Dope would simply cease to exist (along of course with everything else). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479.md?page=2)