Thoughts from "Digital Death Day"

I spent the day at an unconference on the topic of what happens to your digital property and rights when you move on to the Big Cloud. (http://digitaldeath.eventbrite.com/)

The unconference announcement listed the following questions:

* Death is a part of life but what does death of the physical self mean for the digital self?
* What does it mean for loved ones of the departed?
* What does it mean for professionals in end of life care and post mortem services?
* What does it mean for online tool and service providers?
* What does it mean for estate and legacy planners?
* What do people do to prepare for their own deaths in relationship to their online life?
* What do friends and relatives do with the digital assets of a loved one when they die? What if aspects
of their online life were secret or just not understood?
* What does it mean for governments and public records?

Heard a fascinating exploration by Stacey Pitsillides of the nature and modality of grieving second life (or other avatar-exclusive) spouses, lovers and friends. Stacey rightfully challenged the medicalized view of grief as a disease to be cured or as a condition to be endured and ended.

Stacey got me thinking of grief as an enhancement rather than a burden, where you learn more about what you value in others and learn to be better at seeking, rewarding and nurturing what you love in others. Grief's proper role might be to encourage us to not waste anytime at all in appreciating those we love while we can still be able to affect them.

The unconference was produced and facilitated by Kaliya Hamlin, who is best known as a co-fopunder of "She's Geeky" (http://www.shesgeeky.com/) and in addition for over five years of producing events in the area of Internet identity (http://iiw.idcommons.net/Main_Page).