Email death notifications

I read an article last week about new startups that send out email notifications to a list of contacts when you die. One of them, Deathswitch.com, is run by a neuroscientist who has the site set up to send 30 emails notifying people of a death if the customer doesn’t check in to the site regularly.

It seems like a good idea, I guess, since there are a lot of people I’m only in contact with online, but I’d worry that the emails could be sent prematurely. What if I went on vacation for two weeks and forgot to notify the site?

I, too, find that interesting.. Is this online only? What if they are ill and can’t get online or call? I guess it’s like a modern “next of kin” contact… but,  yes, Holly, I’d be nervous about premature release of information!! Also, I find it interesting that we’ve become a generation or era of using only email to contact each other. I would think that any of these people on the contact list would have face-to-face or at least phone contact with the person. I’d love to hear others’ opinions..

That’s fascinating, and for some reason, a little disturbing!  I guess in this day and age it’s only a logical next step, but still.  Hmm, the whole concept seems a bit unsettling.  I guess it’s not for everyone.  I’d like to think that we haven’t lost the ability to talk to someone face to face, or at least pick up the phone, but perhaps that really is a bygone era?  And when it comes to such a sensitive subject, I don’t know, I’d prefer to hear something like that personally.

I’d like to see a service like this that is triggered by obituary reports rather than relying on a lack of contact from the customer. For people who are very involved in online communities like gaming and chat boards, I see how this could be an important tool to notify their online buddies. People who are really into Second Life, for example, might not have an offline connection with any of their friends. In cases like that, a grieving family member probably wouldn’t think to notify the deceased’s online friends, or even know where to start.

But I still think it would be too easy to have false messages sent that could cause a lot of unnecessary worry.

That’s interesting, Holly..

I have wondered if something were to happen to me, how would all of my “online friends” find out.. My husband doesn’t know everyone I chat with.. so I think a service for online friends and acquaintances could be a good idea.. but again, the mistake of a notice going out prematurely is a bit scary.

Wouldn’t it be great if they could come up with some kind of hybrid mix of notification?  Is it possible for them to phone and send out email notifications? In this way, we may still be able to keep that “personal touch”, and maybe bridge the divide between folks that really enjoy the tools on Second Life, and others that may not think that it’s so hot.

I’m with you Jackie, I’d prefer not to hear about the death of a friend or loved one via an email. It just seems so lonely. However, I do wonder how my family would follow through notifying my online friends if something ever happened. I guess there’s a place for this service in our modern world, but there must be a better way to trigger notification other than simply not logging on to the site for a certain amount of time.

Hey Everyone, there’s an article on CNN dealing with these email death notifications (http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/05/18/death.online/index.html?iref=t2test_techmon), and here, the company profiled is going even further by having the user create an “online will”- one that basically stores all the user’s passwords in one place so that loved ones can have access to them.  What do you think?

I saw that article today too and thought of our discussion. I like this idea better since it does make sense to have a resource for all of your online accounts. They make a good point about people who do business online and need to have customers notified.

I also like that they don’t send out notifications until they see a death certificate. They have several fail-safes in order to make sure people aren’t notified incorrectly about a death.

Yep, Holly, I agree, and you put it really well too.  It’s exactly that (the fail-safe stuff) that I’m really impressed with.  I’m actually starting to think about this email death notification stuff a lot more.  I mean the more I think about it, what’s going to happen when my online friends go (or me for that matter :-)  It really is something to think about.

I really think the online will is a good idea and worth looking into. I wouldn’t necessarily want a service to notify people that I’m dead, but it does make sense to have a way to access accounts and things like that. My husband wouldn’t know my Paypal account info or how to get into my some of my email addresses or vice versa.

I found your posting interesting, There is a website www.sendwheniamgone.com that allows people to send information that they would like sent after they pass away.

It’s amazing, you can send greeting cards and flowers or send them letters you would like mailed.

It is all done through an emergency contact that informs them when you pass on.

I signed up because even though I live in America I am from another country. I have a small amount of money in a bank and credit union that my wife here in the states has no idea how to access. Also there is some stuff in my parents house that I want her to have.

It a fantastic service.

Hi- that sounds like a really interesting site, but how do you know if it’s legit? I’m sure people want to make sure that the service that they are purchasing (especially at such a trying time) won’t try to take advantage of them, so do they have anything on their site that let’s you know that that won’t happen?

Hello,

Well I do know that not anyone can get a merchant account to sell online, There are backround checks and credit checks involved.
I purchased send a letter, when I went to pay I had to give the details of an emergency contact, I used my brother in London. He is the only way they have of knowing when i die.
They contacted him the next day by e-mail and told him how important it is for him to do his part. They also said they will contact him twice a year and gave him an address if there was any changes to the recipients address and such.

I believe if this company is not legit they will be found out as there is an emergency contact involved. Also I am sure he would be in contact with my wife and if she didn’t receive the letter he would do something about it.

Also when you go through the payment process you will see that there store is set up through yahoo and paypal. I am sure they have all the information on the owners of this site.

There have been many websites I did not trust in the past, I just believe this is not one of them.
It took me a long time to sign up with paypal when they first came out but now I could not do without them.
If they are involved with this website I trust it fully.

Thank you for the reply.

Well that sounds pretty good, and it is a necessary service.  Also, I’m sure those that are interested can contact the Better Business Bureau to make sure that everything’s on the up and up.  That said though, its terrific information to have on hand, so I definitely appreciate you sharing it here- I’m sure a lot of people are eager to find a really good site that performs these services!

I really think about it and its very interesting. But its only running with modem, its online only. I also think about this death email notifications.