Taking passwords to the grave

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Geesh that can be a sticky wicket...

On the ONE HAND, I can't imagine the grief of a family member not being able to access another close family member's online account to let many people that person may have long-term online relationships with know of his or her passing... nor to be able to access potentially valuable and/or sentimental things on the computer of someone who may be an artist or a writer...

On the other hand, it's so true that most of us have contacts online nobody else knows about. For most of us, none of these people are nefarious criminals or terrorists, or anything of the sort, but there are people like me, who compulsively like access to EVERYTHING I've written or read in the past, and so I have my email set up to save all sent and received emails, and periodically go through and delete the ones that are just junk emails.

JUST WHY this could be "sticky" is I know in MY case, I've often "vented" to online acquantances about family members, told them things I might not want the family members to read because they might get their feelings hurt... and of course most of us may discuss all sorts of other strange and bizarre things with different people we encounter online, from time to time, thinking of it all as "private communication." But someone like me, who has it all "tucked away" on the hard drive somewhere KNOWS it's NOT private if I die and someone else gets a gander at it.

My only family is my elderly folks, neither of whom has any real desire to learn to use the computer, and I've told a trusted friend to come over and delete anything "embarassing," and where to find such sorts of things, lol.

But I can still see myriad possible issues.

Seems to me, though, the simplest solution should be to have it written somewhere in the WRITTEN WILL who is to have possession of the computer and the right to the password(s) and files therein, and/or email contacts, and if the person doesn't want some people contacted, or some information retrieved, THAT could be stipulated in a will, as well, that some disinterested third party would be present at the initial use of the password(s) to ensure any files/contacts that were NOT to be accessed be immediately deleted before anything else was done.

Barring that, I don't see much way around it.

Thinking maybe I need to add a little clause to my will, just in case, huh?
Jeff

Posted by: Jeff Hayes   Posted on: 10/16/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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