# 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:** 2
**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, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/21 "2013-02-06T14:43:17Z")
I think the trick is to end your last post wi no no no no Owwww wtfffff knife!! male 6 1 blu shirt stabbing HELP!!! Arrgghhhh joefdasmmm dhd asdh usioduioh089 90 jo ------------------ - - - ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/22 "2013-02-06T14:45:02Z")
I’ve told the kids to do it, but then I also told them to unload the dishwasher the other day and that didn’t happen, so who knows. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/23 "2013-02-06T14:46:04Z")
If I abruptly cease posting for more than, say, a month with no prior explanation given, you can probably assume that something catastrophic has happened to me. And I don’t keep my identity a secret, so if someone noticed my absence and got curious, they’d probably be able to track down a death notice. But no, I don’t think there’s anyone who would specifically report to the Dope that I’d gone. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/24 "2013-02-06T14:57:27Z")
My wife posts here occasionally and would probably let everyone know. I also have a good friend that lurks here, so if my wife and I both go together - she’d probably share the news. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/25 "2013-02-06T15:02:53Z")
Highly unlikely. While my wife knows that I post here and my username, she never reads the board and would likely not think about it in her grief. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/26 "2013-02-06T15:33:27Z")
I’ve got a list of on-line sites and log-ins in the envelope with the ICOMD info. I never really added the request, but I think I’ll jot a note int he margin when I get home tonight. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/27 "2013-02-06T15:50:48Z")
I don’t think many people here know or care much who I am. If I were hit by the proverbial bus, MAYBE a few months from now, someone in a sports or trivia thread would think, “Hmm, Astorian hasn’t posted anything in a while,” but no one is likely to give me any more thought than that. And my wife has never even looked at the Straight Dope, so she’s never going to log on and tell you about it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/28 "2013-02-06T15:51:30Z")
Not only would the board not know about it, it might take a month for anybody to know about it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/29 "2013-02-06T16:01:14Z")
Depends entirely upon whether or not **Skald the Rhymer** chooses to announce my annihilation publicly to deter others, or he prefers deniability. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/30 "2013-02-06T16:13:31Z")
I plan to annoy dumbass posters from beyond the grave. _Well if you hear somebody knocking on your door If you see something crawling across the floor Baby, it’ll be me and I’ll be looking for you_ - Jerry Lee Lewis ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/31 "2013-02-06T16:17:47Z")
My SO has a username and sometimes reads. He never posts (as far as I know!) I’ll have to remind him to do it. ---
**Author:** ![solosam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@solosam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solosam)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/32 "2013-02-06T16:18:05Z")
I don’t know how I will die, but I suspect you will see it on Fark. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/33 "2013-02-06T16:20:14Z")
I’ll probably just fade away. My spousal unit knows I post here but he doesn’t know my username, and as far as I know neither does anyone else who can connect me with my other activities. ---
**Author:** ![Art\_Rock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/art_rock/32/525_2.png) [@Art\_Rock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Art_Rock)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/34 "2013-02-06T16:20:39Z")
No. On the other hand, I am insufficiently known here that it would matter. I think my wife would post something on my blog and Flickr though. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/35 "2013-02-06T16:21:08Z")
Yeah, you’d probably know. Another Doper and I are good friends IRL. She’d find out I had died probably from FB (since she lives far away and isn’t friend with any of my other friends/family,) and I would _think_ she’d tell everyone here. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/36 "2013-02-06T17:03:27Z")
My wife is an active a Doper as I am, so I’m sure you’d hear about it. Unless I actually drove her to the point where she felt a need to _cause_ my death. In which case, I assume you’d see occasional posts from “Asimovian” along the lines of “Of course I am not dead from murder what a silly thing to say see I am posting here right now ha ha ha ha ha.” You would all be none the wiser. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/37 "2013-02-06T18:02:39Z")
Nobody who knows the real me knows I post here, and nobody here knows the real me. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/38 "2013-02-06T18:10:29Z")
Yes. I’ve left instructions. I don’t want to miss out on seeing myself on the “In Memoriam” thread! ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/39 "2013-02-06T18:16:00Z")
I have friendships with Dopers that exist outside the board, and my younger brother has a login and account here, though I don’t think he’s been on for years. Anything other than a sudden death without warning, and I’d leave instructions to notify the board. It wouldn’t be for me, 'cause I won’t be around to read it, but I’d like to think the kindness of my fellow Dopers would offer some comfort to my family and friends. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs.Cake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs.Cake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs.Cake)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/40 "2013-02-06T18:25:14Z")
Doubt it. I don’t post often enough for my absence to be noticed naturally, and while my husband has an account I would expect him to be too far gone from either grief, partying, or the stress of having to take care of the cats by himself to remember to inform my family, let alone an anonymous message board. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479.md?page=3)