4 ms·

What I want is a service that deletes all my online presence after I die. A deadswitch. All texts, messages, emails, facebook posts, pictures anywhere, everythi

What I want is a service that deletes all my online presence after I die. A deadswitch. All texts, messages, emails, facebook posts, pictures anywhere, everything. I want it all to go when I do. Hell, I want some of it to go now. After I'm gone, I want to leave no part of my existence on the internet. I realize that's not possible. But I want to minimize my footprint. It is totally possible for a local device. I have a deadswitch on all my computers. If I don't log in and set an alive flag via the command line in any of my computers for more than a week, that computer securely wipes itself. Let it be known, I have nothing to hide. I just think this is the best way to do things. Edit: My reason for this is the frequency with which I encounter people who are no longer alive. It's a harsh thing to look at a link to someone who said something, and you used to know and then suddenly realize, "Oh shit. He's dead. And I used to be his best friend." I know facebook has memorial pages, but those are difficult to get.

ubernostrum 11y ago
I wrote about this a while back: http://www.b-list.org/weblog/2013/jan/29/persistence/ http://www.b-list.org/weblog/2013/jan/29/persistence/ Since then I've started noticing services rolling out the ability to specify someone to take over your account after you die, and I suspect the legal framework around wills and estates is robust enough that you could leave instructions (and have them enforced) to delete things.
dclowd9901 11y ago
When something you create is public, you no longer have a right to dictate it. You do not have a right to be forgotten. That would be an attempt at some sort of thought control, and you don't get to tell us that this comment you just wrote can and should be forgotten. If I choose to remember it, outside of your wishes, there's nothing you can do about it. Private information is another matter, but when people presume they have rights to choose how others think, it really makes my blood boil.
- ianamartin 11y ago
  Umm excuse me, but go yourself. You do not in any way own anything I create just because you may or may not have seen it on the Internet. I am not a public figure simply because I walk around in public. My words do not belong to you simply because I put them in a place where you can see them. Everything about your post is wrong in the worst possible ways. You are the opposite of the idea of freedom of information. You are literally arguing in favor of information tyranny. Please go home and do something besides posting on the Internet.
  - dang 11y ago
    Please don't post uncivil, unsubstantive comments to HN.
  - dclowd9901 11y ago
    What are you on about? I didn't say anything about me owning it; I said you don't own it. It's part of the universe now. There's nothing you can do about that. I think it's hilarious that you accuse me of information tyranny when you're ostensibly arguing for your ability to dictate what I am and am not allowed to know or remember. Freedom of information is, in fact, the freedom of information, apart from the wishes of those who would control it. And as a true believer of freedom of information, I implore you to continue posting your silly, illogical statements all over the internet.
    - dang 11y ago
      Please don't post uncivil, unsubstantive comments to HN.

ubernostrum 11y ago

I wrote about this a while back: http://www.b-list.org/weblog/2013/jan/29/persistence/ http://www.b-list.org/weblog/2013/jan/29/persistence/ Since then I've started noticing services rolling out the ability to specify someone to take over your account after you die, and I suspect the legal framework around wills and estates is robust enough that you could leave instructions (and have them enforced) to delete things.

dclowd9901 11y ago

When something you create is public, you no longer have a right to dictate it. You do not have a right to be forgotten. That would be an attempt at some sort of thought control, and you don't get to tell us that this comment you just wrote can and should be forgotten. If I choose to remember it, outside of your wishes, there's nothing you can do about it. Private information is another matter, but when people presume they have rights to choose how others think, it really makes my blood boil.

ianamartin 11y ago
Umm excuse me, but go yourself. You do not in any way own anything I create just because you may or may not have seen it on the Internet. I am not a public figure simply because I walk around in public. My words do not belong to you simply because I put them in a place where you can see them. Everything about your post is wrong in the worst possible ways. You are the opposite of the idea of freedom of information. You are literally arguing in favor of information tyranny. Please go home and do something besides posting on the Internet.
- dang 11y ago
  Please don't post uncivil, unsubstantive comments to HN.
- dclowd9901 11y ago
  What are you on about? I didn't say anything about me owning it; I said you don't own it. It's part of the universe now. There's nothing you can do about that. I think it's hilarious that you accuse me of information tyranny when you're ostensibly arguing for your ability to dictate what I am and am not allowed to know or remember. Freedom of information is, in fact, the freedom of information, apart from the wishes of those who would control it. And as a true believer of freedom of information, I implore you to continue posting your silly, illogical statements all over the internet.
  - dang 11y ago
    Please don't post uncivil, unsubstantive comments to HN.