(IJCH) Forget Cyber Terrorists. What if You Get Hit on the Head?

IJCH - Inside JaiChai's Head (meaning: My warped, personal opinions and musings)

From the Author

Salutations.

I am JaiChai.

And if I haven't had the pleasure to make your acquaintance, it's always nice to meet a fellow Steemian.

Billionaires Needn't Read Any Further

Unless you are a billionaire and have a highly paid staff to protect you from cyber terrorists and take care of your legacy, you're probably like >98% of the population who haven't considered what would happen to their things, ideas - and most of all, their loved ones - should something untoward suddenly occur.

For example, what if a piano drops out of the sky and lands on your head, a bus runs over you in a crosswalk, or you get caught in the crossfire of two rock-throwing and poison arrow-shooting tribes in the jungles of New Guinea?

You get the picture: A fatal, freak accident or innocent victim of an unexpected "Act of God" event.

Or instead of a traumatic brain injury, what if you become a afflicted with a disease that renders you incapable of remembering or communicating?

What happens to all your images, cryptocurrency, blog stories?

Who gets what's left in your online bank accounts?

Do you actually want the world to know the things in your personal digital diary or the prominent theme of your terabytes of teenage pygmy mud-wrestling porn?

This article covers the basics of digital estate planning for the ever-expanding, not so private, time-bomb called the Digital Life of everyone on the internet.

What's My Damn Password?!

We all know that passwords can be a pain, but are absolutely necessary to safeguard our data, our online accounts and our privacy.

But the prevalence of lost passwords is an all-to-often event. And reestablishing access to your own accounts can be a long and frustrating process.

If you've ever lost a device without saving your "auto-enter" passwords, or switched devices and wiped the last device, but forgot to authorize the new device for your 2FA enabled accounts, you know what I mean!

Never, ever use the same password for multiple accounts.

If you do, when one of your accounts is hacked, the perpetrator now has access to your other accounts with the same password.

I realize that memorizing dozens of different passwords can be a hassle.

That's why I always recommend using one of the many great password managers out there (e.g., LastPass, Roboform 8, KeePass, Dashlane, etc.).

Using a password manager means you only have to remember the Master Password. And it will be far easier to change individual account passwords; especially when a major database with you in it has been compromised.

Given the difficulties with managing your own password, can you imagine a surviving loved one who desperately needs access to your accounts?

For this situation, most password managers have an option for designating the cyber version of a fiduciary (a trustee).

Our Fourth Life

Forget that he believes that we are most likely computer simulations (from a string of infinite generations of previous simulations), Elon Musk is spot on when he says, "...Unlike humans of just a generation ago, we not only have a personal life, work/business life and public life, we now have a Fourth Life: Our Digital Life." - Elon Musk (paraphrased)

An Executor's Nightmare

Pre-digital era duties for an executor of a will was difficult enough.

Now, unless proper planning and preparation was performed that specifically addresses the nature of digital assets, today's executors are effectively hand-cuffed.

Then what happens?

Cryptocurrency will be lost to antiquity, online bank accounts may never reach legitimate beneficiaries, soon-to-be released stories will remain unknown and hard assets may stay in perpetual probate or wind up being seized - after the length of non-declaration statutes have been met.

Mission #1 Organize

A great way to pre-organize and reveal what you need to gather for the creation of a solid digital estate plan is the Master Information Kit template.

Basically, it's kind of a "If the Shit Hits the Fan, See This" file.

It is freely available on Google Docs. Simply download it and begin filling in the blanks of the spreadsheet cells.

Here's a great article to assist you in preparing your own Master Information File:

https://www.google.com.ph/amp/s/lifehacker.com/5817021/in-case-of-emergency-how-to-organize-your-important-records-in-a-master-information-kit/amp

Time to Pull Teeth - The Will

After dental appointments, creating a will has got to be one of the most distasteful tasks for anyone to do.

But for too many reasons to list here, it is super-critical. Not only for your peace of mind, but to ensure your loved ones aren't kicked out on the streets and that they receive what is rightfully theirs after your gone.

Informed Choice or Regret? You can't have both.

If you haven't made a legal will, do it ASAP.

If you have, update it periodically - less often if you're young, annually if your retired.

All Wills are Not Created Equal

Any lawyer will tell you that the complexity and cost of a will depends on the size and diversity of both the bequeathed assets and the beneficiary pool.

However, most people only require the common, simple type of will.

You can easily setup a will inexpensively (~$25-$85) online with services like LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, Smart Legal Forms - and many more.

Social Media Memorials

Many social media platforms - Not Sure if Steemit is included - have memorializing programs.

For example, Facebook and Instagram (AKA: Fakebook and Instaflamm) allows you to designate a legacy contact and provides detailed instructions on tailor making a suitable memorial post - for when you've finally been deemed "post-posting infinata".

What Type of Legacy

"The Four 'L' Paradigm; that is, to Live - survive, to Learn - gain knowledge, to Love - develop intimate relationships, and to leave a Legacy are the universally sought after goals of anyone who lives long enough..." - Dr. Stephen R. Covey (paraphrased)

I am now in my mid-fifties.

BTW, have you heard? Fifties is the new Thirties. Lol!

However, early in life, I read Mark Twain's depiction of someone witnessing his own funeral. And it made me think deeply of how I would be remembered.

Would anyone show up to my funeral? Would anyone say kind words about me? Or would there just be a painfully sad scene of empty chairs and silence?

Or, as a Buddhist, will my loved ones celebrate my transition to a higher plane of existence (or at the very least, a more fulfilling reincarnation)?

Or would they hope I come back as a flea in a street dog's ass?

Think.

Think hard.

How would you really want to be remembered?

Your digital legacy is immortal.

It can paint you as a saint, a loving father and husband, a visionary of the arts of technology, or a business genius.

Or it can portray you as a deviant, despotic, animal torturing, sadistic pedophile.

Unfortunately, because of a buttload of stupid reasons, most people will believe the validity of any piece of digital media; taking everything at face value without even the slightest of cursory exams.

Whether good or bad - especially in the case of "legacy neglect", this tendency to believe everything without investigating keeps any real thruths or insights hidden; while leaving the gate wide open for speculation.

How you will be perceived is entirely up to you now - while you are alive.

If you wait long enough, it will be a moot point. Your legacy will be left to the ignorant spin doctors with ulterior motives and questionable morals.

By JaiChai

Many thanks for reading my post. And if you enjoyed it, please: Upvote, Follow, Comment and Resteem.

- JaiChai "My mind was a terrible thing to waste..."

About the Author

JaiChai has been in the Disruptive Technology, Computer Science and Cryptocurrency spaces for many years. He is an enigma, regarded by his cohorts as sarcastic, funny, intuitive, but most of all - elusive.

He’s known for randomly submitting philosophical and contrarian posts on most forums.

JaiChai alternates long dormant periods with concentrated episodes of frenzied commentary - only to go silent again.

When asked about his vanishing acts, he says, "I’m just somebody who enjoys being nobody because I look like everybody. Besides, time checking things off my 'bucket list’ - sans notoriety - is time well spent.”

Parting Shot -

"From now on, you'd better piss rainbows and shit baby unicorns, son. I'm watching you!"