New app to keep you tweeting even after death

Who thinks of these things? A company called LivesOn is developing an app that will keep on sending out messages on Facebook and Twitter in your name after you have passed away. Apparently it will send out similar content to what you used to post, using language that you would have used. Why this is useful or appealing is lost on me, as is the question of who would read it, but no doubt there is a market for it. Click here to read an article about this from www.mydigitalfc.com.

Family fighting for right to daughter’s online legacy

I'm attaching a link below to the story of Alison Atkins. Alison was only 16 when she died, and her family wanted to access her Tumblr blog and Facebook accounts because they were worried that she had committed suicide. They wanted answers to try to ease the pain and shock of losing their precious daughter and sister. They also want to keep Alison's memory alive by allowing her friends and school mates to post on her Facebook page.

However, Alison's family is running into problems. The legal system and the policies of the companies who hold Alison's accounts are not providing access. They say the information is private and belonged only to Alison.

Family fighting for right to daughter’s online legacy | CTV News

As you read the story, think about your own family. Think about whether  you want to allow your parents, kids, grandkids, executor - or whoever else is close to you - to access your accounts. If you do, how will you arrange for them to have that access?

What to do online when a loved one dies

As social media and other online services become mainstream, estate planners like me have to turn our attention to the question of what happens when the owner of the online profiles, pages and accounts passes away. Here is a really useful article from The Wall Street Journal that discusses several of the more popular social media programs and how they deal with (or don't deal with) the assets of a deceased person. It's something many people simply haven't even thought of yet, so perhaps this article will get you going on your own digital asset planning. It will also be a good place to start if you've recently lost a loved one. Click here to read the article.

The social media will: an expert guide to your digital afterlife

Dealing with digital assets is definitely an estate planning topic that we are hearing more and more about. Because so many of us use Facebook, blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn and other sites, we need to leave instructions for someone to deal with them after our deaths. This becomes even more important when someone uses a website to generate sales or income.

I've come across an article http://www.theatlantic.com/ that raises a few points that are not always covered in articles about digital assets. Click here to read it.