Jonathan Good over at 1000Memories shared his TEDx San Francisco talk with me today. He did a great job presenting the vision of a future where people are remembered for more than their name, but for their story and experiences. This is actually one of the primary reasons that I’m concerned with the preservation of personal digital content. If you have a few minutes, you should watch his presentation.

Would you want a QR code on your headstone? That was a question posed via an email from Adele McAlear. Quiring Monuments is now offering just that with its “Living Headstone” line of memorial products. Cemetery visitors with smartphones can read the QR code and visit a memorial website to learn more about the deceased. Here’s a video from May 2011 showing how it works.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something like this. A company called Rosetta Stone (not the foreign language software) is offering QR code and NFC (near field communication, a technology based upon RFID) products for addition to headstones. The products from Rosetta Stone allow users to view a similar online memorial.

I have to ask, will the websites for these QR codes be around in 20 years time? The Web today is just 20 years old, and we don’t have much of the original Web left. While the technology has promise, I’d like to hear more about the preservation efforts for the digital half of the memorial.

What do you think? Do you want a QR code on your headstone?

Adam Ostrow, the editor-in-chief of Mashable, presented After your final status update last month at TED Global 2011. We’re pleased that the topic of digital legacy is getting attention on a respected, global stage. Adam mentions several services listed on our site, including 1000Memories and If I Die.

Adam’s vision for the potential future of interacting with our digital content as a true representation of self is exactly one of our reasons for advocating that users plan for the future of their digital content. I highly recommend that you take a five minutes and watch his presentation.

Following Digital Death Day John Romano interviewed Dazza Greenwood about the particulars of the White House’s new National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace. They discussed the core parts of the strategy, how it will be implemented, what users can expect and the next steps for the project.

Tomorrow the team from The Digital Beyond will take to the SXSW Interactive stage to present “You’re Dead. Your Data Isn’t. What Happens Now?” Before the session, we wanted to provide you with two quick previews. Two of our co-panelists took a moment to share with us on camera. Enjoy!

Adele McAlear

John Romano and Dazza Greenwood

We were interviewed on KDSK St. Louis. Kasey Joyce interviewed John and Evan about digital legacy. Matthew Koons, a man whose wife died at age 31, talks about having to decide what to do with his wife’s online accounts. Tim Yaeglin, an estate attorney also answers some legal planning issues.

This must be video week at The Digital Beyond. The kind folks at Ignite Raleigh posted the video from my talk, What happens to your digital identity after you die? It’s a nice introduction to the digital afterlife and explains why you should care. Enjoy.

Here’s a great video from SXSW 2010 featuring our friend, Adele McAlear. Like us here at The Digital Beyond, Adele is a digital afterlife advocate and runs a Web site, Death and Digital Legacy. You should check it out. Great video, Adele.

John Romano and Evan Carroll, creators of The Digital Beyond, appeared on WRAL in Raleigh, NC giving some helpful advice about preparing for the digital afterlife. You can read the full story online at www.wral.com.

We also have a checklist to help you plan for your digital afterlife.

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Jeremy Toeman is the founder of Legacy Locker, one of the many services that help people deal with the issues of digital death and afterlife.  Recently he spoke to a group of estate planners about the issue.  I’m pleased to hear that the legal community is starting to explore this issue.  It’s a good first step to standardizing practice concerning digital assets.  Here’s the video from his presentation.

Note: The Digital Beyond does not endorse any one service. We’re pleased to share Jeremy’s presentation with you, however we encourage you to evaluate and use the service of your choice.