Google Is Prepared For Your Death
- Thread starter Fanghawk
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Pretty much this. There's too many ways that could go bad and not enough ways it could go well. I've got accounts scattered around the internet that I haven't accessed in 5 years or more, let alone 12 months. I'm sure most people are the same way. I like the way Google gives you control over who gets access to what, though. I'm thinking there should be a combination of Google's method, which lets the deceased decide what happens to their stuff, and Facebook's method, which requires proof of death for it to kick in. If you want to make sure your websites actually get proof of your death, just put it in your will that you want your executors to go through the process.MorganL4 said:
A baby and a puppy...
... who are just now embarking on their slow, doomed march to the grave. A blink of consciousness bookended by the endless dark of infinity on either side.
What's tha point of it all?
What's the point...
Sigh...
... who are just now embarking on their slow, doomed march to the grave. A blink of consciousness bookended by the endless dark of infinity on either side.
What's tha point of it all?
What's the point...
Sigh...
It would be nice if more sites had clear cut policies regarding things like this, especially those where digital property is involved (iTunes, Steam, Amazon, others). Unfortunately, licenses aren't nearly so permanent as actual property, and since you don't even own them anyways, it would be very easy for them to simply state that the licenses, which weren't transferable during life anyways, just expire with you on death.
As for the Google Inactive Account manager, it's not something you've got to use, and the lowest interval is a three month period, which would rule out anyone wanting to use it as some cry for help, unless you don't mind that cry for help traveling at 'media mail around the world' speeds.
My biggest concern is having it trigger accidentally because of a glitch, or that the email addresses and contact info you've used end up handing things over to the wrong people. I think simply doing it the old fashioned way and leaving necessary security information with your Will is going to suffice for most people.
As for the Google Inactive Account manager, it's not something you've got to use, and the lowest interval is a three month period, which would rule out anyone wanting to use it as some cry for help, unless you don't mind that cry for help traveling at 'media mail around the world' speeds.
My biggest concern is having it trigger accidentally because of a glitch, or that the email addresses and contact info you've used end up handing things over to the wrong people. I think simply doing it the old fashioned way and leaving necessary security information with your Will is going to suffice for most people.
So... Let's say that I would go to North Korea for 2 years for some reason and I had this security measure in place, I would automatically tell up to 10 contacts I'm dead?
OK. With that example it might the most likely scenario but still...
OK. With that example it might the most likely scenario but still...
No, but in a legal sense it could become an issue of Steam didn't want to acknowlege the ownership of the account, argueing that with my passing anyone else who wanted that content should have to pay for it seperatly.Smertnik said:
It's an odd thing to argue hypothetically, because I doubt STEAM will be involved when this kind of thing becomes an issue (but they might). Let's say they do survive for centuries and it all grows from here and they remain a digital force into the space age and beyond. At some point it's possible that an automated system if nothing else will make note that an account has been active 150 years or more or something like that, and that the original user could not possibly still be alive, yet the account is in use.
From a business perspective in the long term I could even see the issue spearheaded by companies themselves using automated search engines to watch obituaries and death notices and compare them to their business records.
This is a great idea considering many now live with much of their information on the cloud. Especially me.
Also, thank you to anyone who are making a big deal out of "you don't access your account within a year so Google tells your family you're dead" conclusion. You gave me a great chuckle.
Also, thank you to anyone who are making a big deal out of "you don't access your account within a year so Google tells your family you're dead" conclusion. You gave me a great chuckle.
The fact that they didn't name it Google Death makes me worry for what they're saving that name for.
WE SHALL OUTLIVE YOUR GREAT GRANCHILDREN, MEATBAGviranimus said:
How much do I have to pay for them to save all my data to a SSD and launch it into space in a non-star trajectory?