AfterLife

[Dan Lester]

At first I thought this was a joke piece....but you'll see that it isn't.  

I'll also admit it isn't a topic I'd really thought about, other than
knowing of the project going on of archiving the entire net.   But it IS a
library-related topic that I'm glad that somebody is considering and
perhaps dealing with.  And, perhaps some libraries should get involved with
this.

dan



Following is from the latest CuD:   Cu Digest, #9.73, Sun 12 Oct 97



Things to Do on the Web When You're Dead
    ----------------------------------------
  by David Blatner <david at afterlife.org>

  Perhaps it speaks to my Western-based culture that I was so
  surprised when a friend of mine [not our friend and colleague Cary
  Lu, who had no desire to build a Web site before he passed away,
  as mentioned in TidBITS-399_. -Adam] asked me some time ago if I
  would host his Web site after he died. I had simply not given any
  thought to the problem of what happens to a site after someone
  passes away or can no longer support it for health reasons.

  This man had put several years of work into his Web site, and it
  had become an archive of his life's musings and beliefs. He felt
  (and feels) strongly that this material should remain available to
  people after he is no longer around to share it, and there is no
  reason why this shouldn't be possible. The site takes up little
  space, requires no real maintenance, and holds a treasure-trove of
  wonderful writing that will probably never see its way into print.

  I don't know how many elderly people or people with terminal
  illnesses are currently building Web pages, but I can only assume
  that the number is increasing and that within the next few years
  the "passing on" question will become one of significance. There
  are many important and emotional issues at stake here, as people's
  personal Web sites become repositories and reflections of who they
  are and what they feel is important to share with others.

  I believe this situation calls for an international not-for-profit
  organization. People could bequest their Web sites to this
  organization with the knowledge that the site will be available
  indefinitely to their loved ones and other interested parties.
  Some small commercial startups already offer this kind of service,
  but I'm more concerned about people who won't be able to afford an
  expensive solution that requires trust funds or other
  sophisticated financing.


**Enter the AfterLife** -- AfterLife is just such an organization.
  Over the past few months, several volunteers have been working
  together to address the concerns and issues of archiving Web sites
  after their authors die. The effort is still very much in its
  developmental stage, and more volunteers are needed. Currently,
  AfterLife has been donated server space and bandwidth, and the
  organization is applying for tax-exempt status in the United
  States.

  I was honored that my friend asked me to protect something so
  precious to him, and I willingly agreed. But I wonder how many
  people's sites are simply being "turned off" when they no longer
  have a voice (or a checkbook) to sustain them? I keep thinking: if
  my grandparents had built a Web site, wouldn't I want it archived
  and available online in the years to come for my grandchildren?

  Of course, no one knows what the online world will look like in my
  grandchildren's time. There's no question that the Web will evolve
  during the intervening years, and AfterLife will be exploring
  issues surrounding the conversion of Web pages into other formats
  for the continuance of access when that becomes necessary. Since
  HTML is relatively simple and HTML files are pure text, Web pages
  stand a much better chance of surviving into an unknown technical
  future than content that requires specific hardware or operating
  systems. CD-ROMs, for instance, may physically last for many
  years, but that's no help if there aren't any CD-ROM drives to
  read them or applications that understand the file formats used.

  You can find more information about AfterLife at the Web site
  below or by sending email to <info at afterlife.org>. If you are
  interested in either participating as a volunteer or bequeathing
  your Web site to AfterLife, drop us a line. Although AfterLife is
  still at an early stage, we want to encourage people to start
  thinking about the issues involved as the Web, along with the rest
  of us, continues to age.

<http://www.afterlife.org/>

Dan Lester
dan at 84.com
In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.  Erasmus, 1534