To those of you who just read Georgie Binks article titled “The Big Log Off” in The Walrus, we welcome you and encourage you to read through the archive of posts already on here.

We plan on starting a series of posts as one of our authors proceeds with documenting his online life so that it will be handled properly if and when he is gone.  This series will detail the steps he goes through for various types of online information, his method of documenting all of this and how he stores it for future use.

About five years ago, I got into the Dune series by Frank Herbert and loved them.  They were so off the wall and original and you never knew the direction that the next book would take the story.  I was really digging the books and looking online to find out when the next book would be coming out to enjoy.  That’s when I found out that Frank Herbert had already passed away and almost all of his plans for the series went with him.  Wow… I felt a little bit upset because the story was left unfinished. 

I went on to other books and finally came across another series I really got into, the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.  The author had slated for 12 books in the full series and the 11^th book was published just last year.  I had mentioned to a friend of mine on Saturday that the author was so close to finishing the series.  I had hoped for a long time that the same thing would not occur as had happened with the Dune series.  I knew I was depending on this one person to be around long enough to bring closure to the series I had read over the last few years.

Alas, once again, my own hopes were derailed by life and reality.  Robert Jordan passed away yesterday.  It is hoped that he left behind enough notes (which he often recorded on a voice recorder and were dictated by assistants) that someone could step in and finish the last book.

What are you going to leave unfinished?

This is just a shout out to those who have shown an interest in this blog.  I’m going to work harder to get back to posting new stuff.  Especially tools you need to plan for the inevitable.
http://presurfer.meepzorp.com/archive/2006_04_01_archive.html#114448059089965706

http://www.list86.com/2006/03/death_and_taxes_data.html

http://www.findagrave.com/forums/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=632571&an=0&page=6#632571

http://www.knick-knack.com/index.html/date/2006-04-07

http://www.codewolf.com/story/article_1022332.html

http://oakvilleblackwalnut.blogspot.com/2006/04/five-misc-items.html

Have a story about handling a loved one’s affairs after they’ve passed on?  Have you experience in creating the records for others?  Want to share your story with our readers?  Just submit your story to stories at beforeyouaregone.com.  If it meets our criteria, we’ll post the story.

There was a post made today on Slashdot titled “Your Digital Inheritance?” and starts a debate on the issues and need (or lack of, according to some) to document online property.  The author has a journal entry titled “Do You Have a Digital Will & Binary Testament?” with a reminder that it is important that those who outlive us need to know how to best handle our digital property.

First of all, we’ll cover, through a series of postings/articles, all that must be considered when setting out to make the plans necessary for your loved ones to handle your entire online life after your real life has ended. We must consider what information will be gathered, in what form it will be recorded and how the documentation will be stored for future use.

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So you have made all the proper plans in preparation for your departure from this life in the flesh. You made out your will, set aside all the proper funds, maintained life insurance policies and even decided where you will be buried.

However… what happens to the online accounts, personas, activities and assets after you are gone?

This is why you are here and why we are here to help you. This site will become your resource in getting EVERYTHING in order so that there are no surprises to your family and loved ones. We hope you find your stay here enjoyable and profitable for you.