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Will you miss me when I'm gone? Will you even know?

By Bryant Tutas

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC BK607690

August 30, 2009 10:14 AM

Socila network icons

Hi folks. Here’s a question for you…how many online networks do you belong to? I would bet that a lot of us on ActiveRain also have profiles on Twitter, Facebook, Trulia, LinkedIn and most of the more popular sites.

So what’s your number? 5? 10? 20? More?

Would your loved ones know how to access these sites if you died or became incapacitated? Would they be able to let your online friends know what happened?

The reason I ask is that I read an article today in the Orlando Sentinel that asked the question…. “What happens to our Virtual World when we die?”. Written by Etan Horowitz

Personally, I keep all of my user names and passwords in a Word Document. Currently, my document is 4 pages long!!! I have well over 100 accounts that require passwords or pin numbers.

After reading the article from the Sentinel I am placing this issue on my list of things I need to take care of a.s.a.p. How about you?

Here are some sites that may help you:

www.TheDigitalBeyond.com

www.LegacyLocker.com

www.AssetLock.net

www.DeathSwitch.com

Do you know of any more?

Bryant Tutas
Broker/Owner
Tutas Towne Realty, Inc
Licensed Florida Real Estate Broker
http://CentralFloridaShortSales.com

http://ShortSaleSuperStars.com

***The content of this blog is solely my opinion***

SHORT SALE AGENT TRAINING

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Teresa K. Nelson

Compass - Woodinville, WA

Your Trusted Real Estate Advisor

I keep a book of all the social networks I belong to and a copy my profile page so that I can flip through occasionally and make sure it's all updated! Never thought about my "heirs" needing my passwords - but that would work!

Aug 31, 2009 10:43 AM

David L. Montgomery

MULAMONT REALTY, LLC - Pontiac, MI

David L. Montgomery

I hadn't visited one of my social networking sites for a great while. I got email from some of them telling me they missed me. But if I hadn't would they know if I was dead or alive? I'll just roam the internet for enternity....

all seeing eye

Aug 31, 2009 11:14 AM

Inez Meehan

Keller Williams - Torrance, CA

Hummm... I might come back from hell and say hello LOL... just kiddin....

Aug 31, 2009 11:48 AM

Jennifer Fivelsdal

JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY

Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

BB I keep a book and my family is very aware of it. Then again when I am gone I suppose it is not a priority...Lol

Aug 31, 2009 12:54 PM

Lisa Hill

Florida Property Experts - Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Beach Real Estate

I have all my user names and passwords in a WordPerfect document, that also requires a password just to open the document. It's 9 pages long! O_O But it's not just social networking. I had this system in place a long time ago since I do shopping, banking, you name it, online. Oh, and I keep al the family e-mail accounts and passwords too. But I also have a hidden printout, and the document is on my backup hard drive, and 2 laptops as well. LOL! I think my family would wish they could kill me again, if I died, and they had to close all those accounts. HAH! But I am SO skeptical of the online sites that supposedly keep our personal data safe. What if someone hacks their server? What if an employee decides to sell our info? I'm just more comfortable keeping my secrets right here. It's not totally safe. I do have firewalls in place, but a real hacker can get into whatever they want. But that's why I have so many different password combinations. I just mix it up, big time!

Aug 31, 2009 12:54 PM

Ginger Moore

Wilkinson & Associates Realty - Gastonia, NC

I also keep my passwords on computer. too many to memorize. Tried to do this one time, and I would always forget which password, at which site. will keep the sites bookmarked. thanks for sharing!

Aug 31, 2009 12:54 PM

SarahGray Lamm

Allen Tate Realtors Chapel Hill, NC 919-819-8199 - Chapel Hill, NC

Realtor - 100K Hours of NC Real Estate Experience

Bryant! This is something I have thought about too! My neighbor is going to law school specifically to specialize in this! Just like 30 years ago there are jobs coming that we never foresaw. I have a friend who died young and his FB page is still up. Very disturbing or very comforting, depending on your point of view.

Aug 31, 2009 01:53 PM

Lane Bailey

Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA

Realtor & Car Guy

I have an Excel spreadsheet... and there is an Outlook folder... and there are just a few stock items I use. But... I hadn't really thought about someone having to close out my presence.

Aug 31, 2009 02:38 PM

Alan Brown

Coldwell Banker Realty - Davenport, FL

34 Years of Real Estate Experience .

It definitly is a challenge keeping up with all the usernames and passwords, I have all mine written down in the back of my daytimer, I assume someone would eventually find them and log in to all those web sites and let everyone know what happened.

Aug 31, 2009 02:53 PM

John J. Woods

Big Dog Press, LLC - Winder, GA

Going where no man has gone before - wouldn't you?

It's a good question and an important issue. Along the same lines as "Do you backup your hard drives frequently?" I keep our account names and numbers, usernames, and passwords in a Word document, also, but NOT on my C:/ drives. I keep them on a separate backup dirve, and for everyday use, on duplicate thumb dirves that my wife and I each keep separately, secure. If a disaster occurred, or a break-in/burglary, the most important information we have would be secure. Just imagine if someone else got access to that type of information. Or worse yet, they took it from you and had access and you didn't!

Aug 31, 2009 03:04 PM

Jon Zolsky, Daytona Beach, FL

Daytona Condo Realty, 386-405-4408 - Daytona Beach, FL

Buy Daytona condos for heavenly good prices

Bryant,

I also have a 4 page Word document. Hate when I can't use my password, as when there is more than one, I have a problem checking it every time.

Funny, our inability to get ready doesn't really delay the last breath

Aug 31, 2009 05:37 PM

Mark Velasco

West Shores Realty - Whittier, CA

Top Producing Broker Associate

Wow Bryant. What an unusual post. I don't like thinking about this. However, I have bookmarked this page for another day.

Aug 31, 2009 05:44 PM

Monique Ting

INET Realty Honolulu, HI - Honolulu, HI

Your agent under the sun

Some food for thought! I still keep all of my passwords in a notebook and have started a system to easily remember them , but never seriously thought of passing that info to get accessed after my demise. Thanks for the reminder,

Aug 31, 2009 07:54 PM

Bryant Tutas

Tutas Towne Realty, Inc and Garden Views Realty, LLC - Winter Garden, FL

Selling Florida one home at a time

WOW! Great comments. OK so I pulled ou my list today to see if TLW would be able to figure it out. The reason I checked is all of my user names, passwords and pins are in code!!! I guess I need to sit down and make it easy to understand and then place it in a safe place.

Interesting topic. Thanks for participating.

Sep 01, 2009 01:25 AM

Jeff Dowler, CRS

eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA

The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hmm, well I haven't given THAT alot of thought, but I do have a record of all (I think) my social networks and sites and passwords. The sites you mentioned look interesting - will have to check them out.

Jeff

Sep 01, 2009 04:57 AM

Lyn Sims

Schaumburg, IL

Real Estate Broker Retired

BB, I think that is sweatin the small stuff. BTW your wife probably has a back door password into your checking account that you didn't know about. I have an 8x11 sheet single spaced on both sides in day glow orange (so I can find it) for my passwords.

Sep 01, 2009 08:01 AM

Susan Mangigian

RE/MAX Preferred - West Chester, PA

Chester & Delaware County Homes, Delaware and Ches

BB, this was very thought provoking. I've often wondered this very thing. If something happened to me, I suppose that a one or two people might try my cell phone, concerned that they haven't seen me around on line lately. They may leave a message that no one ever gets, and then I'm sure they would just forget about it. It's kind of sad.

Sep 01, 2009 08:43 AM

Barbara Tretola

RAC Real Estate Associates, Inc. - Massapequa Park, NY

My sister and I have exchanged this information for th4 most part. We trust each other and have no reason to spy, no hidden agendas. Plus some of the people I am close with online ( after years of getting to know each other and even meeting many of them) have my phone numbers, so they would call if they did not hear form me.

Sep 01, 2009 06:08 PM

"The Lovely Wife" The One And Only TLW.

President-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Kissimmee, FL

Just lookie lookie at what I learned today :)

TLW...ROAR!

Sep 02, 2009 10:09 AM

Robert Hammerstein -

Christie's International Real Estate - Hillsdale, NJ

Bergen County NJ Real Estate

Hey BB,

I'm certain nobody would miss me, well except maybe Bob and he has all my passwords. LOL!

Sep 04, 2009 02:28 AM

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