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4/22/12

Internet: A thorny Question: Managing Your "Online Life" after you die..

The pieces of our lives that we put online can feel as eternal as the Internet itself, but what happens to our virtual identity after we die? 

It's a thorny question, and for now, the answer depends on which sites you use. Privacy is a major issue. So are company policies to delete inactive accounts. 

In general if next a next of kin asks to have a profile taken down, Facebook will usually comply. It will not, however, hand over a user's password to let a family member access the account, which means private messages are kept just that.

Rival MySpace has a similar policy blocking account access but has fewer restrictions on profile-viewing.  

MyDeathSpace.com was started by an enterprising entrepreneur who felt there was a market for people who wanted to stay or be kept alive on the Internet even after they died. 

Take your pick...

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