# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/101 "2013-02-09T02:15:20Z")
If I crap out all of you will dispell an unexpected sigh at the same time—except we’re in different time zones. With different beliefs about death. And some of you knew me differently at different times. A Cecil Question will appear that can only be answered by (various) tolling bells. There’ll be an ongoing Debate in which I live forever (when not periodically being Pitted like a succulent source of bacon.) Or, maybe one of the kids will remember that I used to go here, and let y’all know. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/102 "2013-02-09T04:15:52Z")
Given that my family is used to me reading threads out loud to them, and they all understand the sociology of message boards, they’d let you know. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/103 "2013-02-09T10:12:05Z")
I very much doubt it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/104 "2013-02-09T13:33:19Z")
My sister has instructions on how to notify a moderator of the Dope, if I should pass away unexpectedly. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/105 "2013-02-09T13:50:13Z")
Hmm… Not just the Dope and not just my other online life, but a whole bunch of people I know IRL outside of this island would just have me disappear without any explanation or notice, unless my brother is in good enough health to read and perform his assigned instructions to resolve my pending business. My inside-PR and outside-PR life are otherwise almost entirely compartmentalized, I’ve tried sharing with my local family and friends but there’s just too much generational and cultural disconnect (_“What, a community of smart-alecks answering each other’s questions in a smart-aleck way? Sounds like something Gringo college kids would do. Who the heck is Og?”_) and they have no real reason to accompany me on any of my visits or travels to get together with overseas friends or colleagues. ---
**Author:** ![JessMagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c0e974/32.png) [@JessMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JessMagic)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/106 "2013-02-10T11:47:21Z")
Nope. I’ve never knowingly met another Doper, and I’ve never mentioned it to anyone IRL. Is that weird? Hmm… ---
**Author:** ![StuffLikeThatThere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc8723/32.png) [@StuffLikeThatThere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StuffLikeThatThere)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/107 "2013-02-10T12:37:29Z")
Possibly. I was going to say no way (my husband knows I post here but he’d have so much to deal with I can’t imagine he’d think of posting here), but I remembered that I’m Facebook friends with one doper. It would be clear from my Wall that I had died, and she’d be aware. I don’t know whether she’d think to inform the Dope. I’m not really active enough to have a presence. So it’s possible you’d know, but likely as not I’d just fade away. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/108 "2013-02-10T15:31:08Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > My sister has instructions on how to notify a moderator of the Dope, if I should pass away unexpectedly. Who gets the points? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/109 "2013-02-10T15:40:23Z")
I told the wife to let the Dope know. Of course, if we’re killed together, that could pose a problem. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/110 "2013-02-10T22:13:40Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Depends entirely upon whether or not **Skald the Rhymer** chooses to announce my annihilation publicly to deter others, or he prefers deniability. You know I would never kill you, dude. I mean, unless there was money in it for me, or if the method of doing so were very, very funny. ---
**Author:** ![BobArrgh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobarrgh/32/2881_2.png) [@BobArrgh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobArrgh)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/111 "2013-02-10T23:02:57Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > 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 ------------------ - - - I did NOT kill **lieu**! My wife and I are getting ready to redo our will soon. I’m thinking I might put it in an instruction to post something on the Dope. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/112 "2013-02-10T23:07:56Z")
I voted no. I don’t know any Dopers IRL. My wife knows I spend some time here because I’m always talking about something I read on the Dope, but unless I requested it ahead of time I don’t think it would ever occur to her to sign in and post a message about my passing. ETA: One clue might be if my Charter Membership lapsed. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/113 "2013-02-10T23:10:35Z")
Unlikely. I am not really msmith537. I inherited the username from the previous msmith537, just as someone will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from is not the real msmith537 either. His name was Cummerbund. The real msmith537 stopped posting 15 years ago and has been living like a king in Patagonia. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2013, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/114 "2013-02-10T23:23:45Z")
Eh, who really notices that I post at all now, much less would notice if I stopped doing so? I’ll just up and vanish like a fart in the wind. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/115 "2013-02-11T01:59:02Z")
Nope. I took a long, voluntarily-extended, suspension a couple years ago and nobody emailed me or remarked upon my return. I then realized I was not a special snowflake that people noticed. I am inclined to ask my daughter to log in and tell you all to eat worms and die, though. ---
**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 11, 2013, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/116 "2013-02-11T02:10:07Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > I am inclined to ask my daughter to log in and tell you all to **eat worms and die** , though. I think you got the order reversed there. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/117 "2013-02-11T02:22:51Z")
My wife might let you know. Whether anyone here would notice or care, I’m even less sure of. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/118 "2013-02-11T02:42:16Z")
Reading through this thread, I realize that I might not notice when someone stops posting, although I’ve been happy to see people come back after an absence (including you, **dropzone** ). There’s something about the non-physical space here that makes it difficult to spot an absence. It’s not like you log in and notice that somebody’s desk is empty. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/119 "2013-02-11T02:48:40Z")
Nope, you people would not know a thing. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2013, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479/120 "2013-02-11T03:20:42Z")
I’ve met some local dopers at dopefests. Some of them are also FB friends and would see something on there or a local obit and put something up. The Fella knows I post here, but I’m not sure he would post a notice. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-die-an-untimely-death-are-we-the-dope-ever-gonna-know/649479.md?page=7)