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Send Emails After Your Death

Roland Piquepaille writes "As you all know, the two things in life you can't avoid are taxes and death. But if you will no longer have to pay taxes after your death, you will be able to send email thanks to a new service, Mylastemail.com. The Los Angeles Times (free registration needed) says this service will cost you $9.99 for a three-year subscription. The company says you can update your farewell messages from anywhere in the world, including cybercafes or airports." If it's not a hoax, it's a pretty cool service.

23 of 271 comments (clear)

  1. BSD by grennis · · Score: 5, Funny

    Quick, somebody sign up BSD, they are going to need this soon.

  2. Anywhere in the world? by technopinion · · Score: 5, Funny

    Now, if one could update the messages from the underworld, that might be something worth investing in.

  3. No need. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I already have a list of people to send email to about my death in my will. It will be executed for free.

  4. No thanks by fleener · · Score: 5, Funny

    What guarantee do I have that the bulk e-mail to my friends and family won't be snagged by spam filters? That would be the final insult.

    1. Re:No thanks by piranha(jpl) · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Really. The FAQ says that messages sent to recipients only contain a URL to your full message. Unless they actually include the name of the deceased in the Subject or something else which clearly differentiates it from spam, many people will probably disregard the message.

  5. question ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    If they don't send the e-mail, can you sue them from beyond the grave?

    1. Re:question ... by lbrt · · Score: 5, Funny

      If they don't send the e-mail, can you sue them from beyond the grave?

      You can try, but I bet they have their own Ghostbusters team ready to remove unsatisfied customers.

  6. Bank account in Nigeria by wayward_son · · Score: 4, Funny

    That's a convenient service.

    I'll just wait until then to give away the money in my bank account in Nigeria.

  7. First Post Service by andrewa · · Score: 4, Funny

    How about a service to get a "First Post" after your death?

    --
    :(){ :|:& };:
    1. Re:First Post Service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      You mean "Last Post", right?

  8. My last email: by (void*) · · Score: 4, Funny

    So long and thanks for all the fish.

  9. Does this mean... by devnulljapan · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me introduce myself to you.I'm Franka Guei, the former military ruler of ( cote d' Ivoire /ivory coast,).
    I was killed on 19/9/2002 with some of my loyalist officers during a cross fire battle between us and government troops in an attempt to seize power through coup de eta in Abidjan on 19/9/2002 .
    At the time of my death, I had the sum of Eighteen million united states dollars only(us$18m) which I still want to move out of here with most despatch despite being dead.
    This money was deposited by me before I died in a security company for the purpose of using it to fine tune my administration in the invent that he succeed in the fail coup attempt.
    Because of the present situation in my country cote d' ivoire, as well as my being dead, my I need a trust worthy foreign partner who can assist me to transfer the money out of South Africa for investment.
    Please, I highly need your assistance both in transferring the money to your country and also investing it in a profitable venture with your kind advice ,as I confide in you hoping you will never betray me at last.
    I have proposed (30%) percent of the total sum of the money for you as your own commission, so as for you to give us all necessary assistance and protection we may need in your Country. Please treat as highly confidential. All the vital documents covering the deposit of the fund in a security company are with me here and will be used to effect change of ownership in your favour for subsequent transfer to any account you may wish to use abroad.
    What I want you to do is to indicate your interest that you will assist us by receiving the money on our behalf. Acknowledge this message, so that I can introduce you to my son (MIKE GUEI) who has the modalities for the claim of the said fund. The identity of the finance company where the fund is deposited, will be revealed to you by my son as soon as we recieve confirmation from you on your willingness to proceed, as seeing is believing.
    Reach me through this mail box to discuss modalities on how to proceed.Reply to deadpresidentofsomeafricannation@untraceabledomain .com
    Looking forward to hearing from you urgent.

  10. This is retarded by Lxy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    the concept is cool, but there's one thing that doesn't make any sense.. HOW DO THEY KNOW IF YOU'VE DIED????

    According to the FAQ on the site, you need to leave some kind of documentation in a place where someone will find it after you've died. That person is then responsible to contact them and have the e-mails sent. Dumb question: If you have to leave a note behind anyway, why use the e-mail service? Why not write letters in envelopes and store them in the same safe place you'll store this document?

    Sounds more like a ploy to take money from the naive. Too bad I didn't think of this.

    --

    There is no reasonable defense against an idiot with an agenda
    :wq
  11. Dead Man's Switch by Plug · · Score: 4, Informative

    Sounds very much like the Dead Man's Switch that was covered on Slashdot a while back...

    If you don't tell it you're alive every now and then, it can encrypt your files, send email, and post messages on the web. Very paranoia.

  12. Imagine THAT being hacked! by arcanumas · · Score: 4, Funny
    Wow, imagine using a stupid username/password and having someone get in and change the message.

    "Dear world. I was a bastard. I am, however, no more. That plane i was in has crashed into a mountain and my remains have yet to be discovered.
    The world considers this to be a great tragedy, but those who knew me can say that the loss of the innocents on-board was well worth my demise.
    Feel welcome to defecate on my grave
    Thank you.
    The deceased."
    And a goatse.cx follows...

    --
    Slashdot Sig. version 0.1alpha. Use at your own risk.
  13. Cool! by ucblockhead · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is awesome! Now I don't have to go through all the rigamoral of finding a friend to hold snailmail evidence when I blackmail someone. Now I can just say "and if you kill me, the information will automatically be emailed to the New York Times".

    --
    The cake is a pie
  14. This is just a bad idea... by ezraekman · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Yeah, read about it already on the Register. Why would someone want to do this?

    "Mylastemail.com , in its sole discretion, upon five (5) days' written notice and without liability to you, may terminate your password, account or use of the Service and remove and discard any Messages within the Service if you fail to comply with this Agreement... ... Upon termination mylastemail.com shall have no obligation to maintain or delete any Messages stored in your account or to forward any Messages to you or any third party. "

    "Indemnification

    You shall indemnify and hold mylastemail.com and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys, and agents, harmless from and against any and all claims, costs, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including attorneys' fees and costs) arising out of your Message or in connection with your use of the Service and Content, or breach of this Agreement.

    Disclaimer of Warranties

    MYLASTEMAIL.COM MAKES NO REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR GUARANTY AS TO THE RELIABILITY, TIMELINESS, QUALITY, SUITABILITY, TRUTH, AVAILABILITY, ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE SERVICE OR ANY CONTENT. MYLASTEMAIL.COM DOES NOT REPRESENT OR WARRANT THAT:

    (I) THE USE OF THE SERVICE WILL BE TIMELY, UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE OR OPERATE IN COMBINATION WITH ANY OTHER HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, SYSTEM OR DATA,
    (II) THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS,
    (III) THE QUALITY OF ANY PRODUCTS, SERVICES, INFORMATION, OR OTHER MATERIAL PURCHASED OR OBTAINED BY YOU THROUGH THE SERVICE WILL MEET YOUR REQUIREMENTS OR EXPECTATIONS,
    (IV) ERRORS OR DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED,
    (V) THE SERVICE OR THE SERVER(S) THAT MAKE THE SERVICE AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. THE SERVICE AND ALL CONTENT IS PROVIDED TO YOU STRICTLY ON AN "AS IS" BASIS. ALL CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT OF THIRD PARTY RIGHTS, ARE HEREBY DISCLAIMED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW BY MYLASTEMAIL."

    That last bunch of bru-ha-ha is the icing on the cake. Basically, this all says "Pay us money. In exchange, we promise nothing, guarantee nothing, but give you a warm fuzzy feeling that everything will be okay if you die... but we don't guarantee or even really hint that you might feel A) warm or B) fuzzy. It's all in your mind. Give us money now, please."

    It seems pretty pointless to me. It might be different if A) there was any kind of "real" guarantee and B) e-mail was a more reliable, widely used medium. But the fact of the matter is that there are still millions of people who don't yet understand or even use e-mail, and those who do know that it's not always reliable. If you need this kind of service, pay a live, professional person who knows how to use e-mail, phone, fax, snail mail, etc. to inform those who need to know.

    Of course, that won't stop the masses who don't understand e-mail and like warm fuzzy feelings from handing over the cash.

  15. This is well regarded by Lieutenant_Dan · · Score: 4, Funny

    I haven't RTFA because that would against /. posting policy, but I suspect that they subscribe you a mailing list where you get an e-mail with the subject "Are you dead yet?" every day. If you don't reply after two days they assume you are dead and send the e-mail to your list of contacts and promptly sell the same list for profit to the DMA. Because once you're dead, it's not like you can sue them or anything.

    --
    Wearing pants should always be optional.
  16. My letter.... by Hogwash+McFly · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear Boss,

    Susan pissed in your coffee,
    John keyed your Jaguar,
    and I was the one fucking your wife!

    Have a profitable year,

    A faithful employee

    --
    Mother, do you think they'll like this sig?
    1. Re:My letter.... by Prof.Phreak · · Score: 4, Funny

      Or...

      Dear Faithfull Employee,

      Who do you think is responsible for your death? :-)

      Your Boss.

      --

      "If anything can go wrong, it will." - Murphy

  17. 3 years? by mcpkaaos · · Score: 5, Funny

    $9.99 for a three-year subscription

    Isn't that a little pessimistic?

    --
    It goes from God, to Jerry, to me.
  18. Cut out the middleman by fleener · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Let me get this straight. I print a document from the web site, give it to my trustee, and my trustee is responsible for contacting the web site to inform it that I have died? I'll just give my final messages directly to my trustee and cut out the middleman.

  19. Re:already thought of this by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 4, Funny
    Several times I've thought of setting up a cron job so if I don't deactivate it in a couple of days, it would notify my direct relatives about my death

    If I ever build a house, I'll have a timed thing like that, but not only to notify people of my death--it will also cause my death.

    The house computer system will give me challenges periodically, and keep track of how well I respond to them. When the house computer determines that I've gotten senile enough to no longer really be me, it will wait until I'm sleeping, and gas me, wait until it is sure I'm dead (temperature sensors?), and then call the appropriate authorities to report the death.

    After this, the robokvorkian program will destroy itself, so that whoever gets the house after me won't have to worry about it.