# The life you live online, and In the Event of Your Passing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 16, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148 "2004-12-16T14:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/1 "2004-12-16T14:59:57Z")
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the online communities in which I spend my time. For me, the SDMB is basically the #1 place. I spend quite a bit of time at [Fark.com](http://Fark.com) as well, but I’m only a random contributor. I feel that people here know me a bit better than other places. So it occurs to me that, with so much turnover (and particularly on a pay board like this one), a poster who dies unexpectedly may not be missed for quite some time. The thought is that this person has simply decided to move on…or found a new place to dwell, in the Elvis Presley sense of the phrase. I have given instructions to my wife to log in under this username and inform the Board if I were to die. I wonder how many others have done the same. I’d like to use this thread to encourage people to make connections with each other. Maybe everybody here could have a SDMB “buddy” who could be contacted by family members of the deceased if the worst should happen. I believe our board is unique, in that we’re able to share ourselves more fully and honestly than other message boards. Ergo, there are more people to care that someone should no longer be around. I don’t know, I’m just thinking out loud here. What do others think of this idea? Or is there a better one I’m not thinking of? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/2 "2004-12-16T15:17:51Z")
I already have an SDMB Buddy: my friend (and boss), **Gr8Kat**. When I was in an accident last month she started [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=284599) thread telling the board about it and also kept people on my livejournal updated about my condition too. I’m sure she’d do the same in case of my death. Well, except updating my condition. “He’s been dead for about a week now. His body should be decomposing by now.” ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/3 "2004-12-16T16:01:49Z")
> [@Chastain86](#): > > I have given instructions to my wife to log in under this username and inform the Board if I were to die. I wonder how many others have done the same. No, I don’t believe I’ll ask your wife to do this for me. I think it would be highly inappropriate, since I don’t know either of you. ---
**Author:** ![Chastain86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/4 "2004-12-16T16:10:09Z")
> [@Sean Factotum](#): > > No, I don’t believe I’ll ask your wife to do this for me. I think it would be highly inappropriate, since I don’t know either of you. Okay, extra points on that one. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/5 "2004-12-16T19:52:52Z")
> [@Sean Factotum](#): > > No, I don’t believe I’ll ask your wife to do this for me. I think it would be highly inappropriate, since I don’t know either of you. My new hero, **Sean Factotum**. Nothing hit the screen or came flying out of my nose, but I did laugh/howl at that one. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/6 "2004-12-16T22:23:04Z")
Nocturnal\_Tick and I are moving in together in September , so if I die, I hope he would notice and inform you all. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/7 "2004-12-16T22:24:27Z")
I’ve asked **Hamish** to do this for me. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/8 "2004-12-16T22:32:17Z")
Well, I haven’t asked anyone to do this for me, but I guess I’ll ask the few of those that know me to keep an eye out. They know where to look, and hopefully, would say something here. . . But then again, word on my well-being has spread like wildfire here, and I thank y’all for it. Tripler Believe me, if I gotta go out, I want to go out with a BANG! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/9 "2004-12-16T23:08:04Z")
> [@Tripler](#): > > Believe me, if I gotta go out, I want to go out with a BANG! 😃 Nothing says BANG! quite like dry ice packed en masse in a tightly-sealed container;) I have a feeling that, were I to die, y’all would be informed of it. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/10 "2004-12-17T00:08:59Z")
> [@iampunha](#): > > Nothing says BANG! quite like dry ice packed en masse in a tightly-sealed container;) > > I have a feeling that, were I to die, y’all would be informed of it. I [never said nuthin’](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=292220) about sealing it into a container. But, I did say that the chili itself may kill me. Tripler I have to wear special gloves just to _serve_ my chili! ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/11 "2004-12-17T00:24:09Z")
I’ve solved this particular problem for myself through the simple expedient of dating a Doper. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/12 "2004-12-17T03:16:15Z")
**Sunspace** and **iampunha** would be notified if anything went wrong. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/13 "2004-12-17T03:22:29Z")
I don’t think the boards would ever know if I died. I don’t know anyone all that well, and don’t know anyone in real life. Also, none of my real friends really know about my board addiction, so it’s not like they would make a screenname to inform everyone of my demise. I’m also not popular enough that anyone would ever start a “where’s bouv” thread. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/14 "2004-12-17T03:23:47Z")
_I’d_ wonder where you were, **bouv**. And I’d miss you. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/15 "2004-12-17T03:46:43Z")
As it now stands, according to my will, on my death an executor will post my identity as well as messages to my dearest friends. A few Dopers are to be bequeathed items from my library. Odd, isn’t it? I’ve never met any of you. ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/16 "2004-12-17T05:55:21Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I’ve solved this particular problem for myself through the simple expedient of dating a Doper. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/17 "2004-12-17T06:03:13Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > I don’t think the boards would ever know if I died. Same here. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/18 "2004-12-17T06:04:45Z")
Were I to die, you all would know. For at my death, the thousand mighty warriors who follow me shall all become crazed, and the whole of the earth shall hear their cries of anguish. My funeral pyre shall reach so high that the gods themseleves would take note. So it was prophesied by the norn, so it shall be. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/19 "2004-12-17T06:08:00Z")
I remember a famous incident(s) a few years ago about a guy who created a second username, and after he had become familiar to other posters on a board, used the other username (ostensibly his brother or something) to tell everyone he had passed away. He wanted to see if anyone would miss him. Most of them were quite upset that he faked his (online) death. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148/20 "2004-12-17T06:57:07Z")
Well, I don’t have any arangments made, so if I died tomorrow, I guess I’d just “dissapear” online. Eventually, my web page would shut down, but that’s about it. I’d probably be lucky if anyone online posted a “say, anyone remember that ‘Rencloth’ guy who used to post here?” message, six months after I’m buried. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-life-you-live-online-and-in-the-event-of-your-passing/280148.md?page=2)