Will We Know?

[BarTopDancer]

Message boards and IMing bring people together in new ways. And with these forms of communications family and friends don't always know about your message board postings or internet friends.

With Lashbear being admitted to the hospital [again] I got to thinking (again)... would we know if something happened to you? I think most of us here would know, due to the nature of the board and real life friendships.

I remember during 9/11 on the Pad people were concerned about people in NY and DC. Would we know if something happened to them? Would we learn what happened to Moonliner or Scaeagles or just assume that they decided to never post again (using those two as an example because they are so far away and well, Leo is ashamed of us )?

Deep thoughts on a stressful day.

[Morrigoon]

I think it's important that someone in our lives know how to reach those people who mean something to us, if the worst should occur. Probably a good idea to make whoever that is realize that there is an online circle of friends too (unless, like Leo, you're ashamed of us )

[Not Afraid]

When my phone stops ringins, I will be worried. God help us if I ever lose my phone!

[SzczerbiakManiac]

My best friend accepted my request that upon my death he will notify everyone in my address book and bookmarks that I have passed. Cause gawd knows my parents don't know how to use anything more electronic than a standard phone.

[Snowflake]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

When my phone stops ringins, I will be worried. God help us if I ever lose my phone!

Been meaning to ask, you do have call waiting on your cell, right?

[Alex]

It's come up a lot over the years on various boards, but no, people wouldn't necessarily know. And I'm aware of many situations where an online community only learned of it much, much later.

However, this is almost always with the more fringe members of the board.

I go through it in reverse, though. If I were to die, almost everybody online would know about it nearly immediately but it could be quite a while before my family learned of it (particularly if Lani and I somehow died together). I last talked to my mom over the 4th of July weekend and it was 18 months before that.

But as with in real life, if there are people who need to be informed, the burden is on you to leave instructions and a mechanism for making sure they are carried out. I know several people who keep such instructions with their will/living trust documentation.

[wendybeth]

I think of that as well, BTD. Lash's recent health scare (especially in light of his last one) got me wondering if there wasn't some way we could keep tabs on board friends. A lot of our posters live in SoCal and can check on each other, but what of the ones far away? When LSPE got sick and didn't post for a few days we had a virtual search party starting up, which I thought was cool.

[Not Afraid]

The things I worry most about if something happens to both Chris and I are the cats. I don't care about the stuff, the collections, the house - but the cats are important.

[wendybeth]

Find people you know would take care of them like you do, and ask them if they would be willing to be listed as kitty guardians. You can even leave a sort of trust fund to take care of your babies. I know because I worry about the same thing- my sibs have agreed to take our animals. Oh, and the kid, too.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

The things I worry most about if something happens to both Chris and I are the cats. I don't care about the stuff, the collections, the house - but the cats are important.

While Leo may be ashamed of us we all know he would step up and take the cats.



Ok, everyone done laughing now? What WB said. You can designate pet guardians.