Internet after Death

It was only a matter of time before somone was going to ask the final "what if" question for Internet users.

I'm sorry, but you're dead. Now what happens to your gigabytes of online data, Websites, automatic payments, and "virtual money"?

A new category of online services is emerging: A "Last Will and Testament" for Internet assets. It's just the start, and perhaps we'll see businesses producing "daemons" or "after-death worms" delivering payloads that represent your interests in perpetuity.

That's right, as you settle into your final resting place you too can have that peace of mind at Legacy Locker. Legacy Locker is a "safe, secure repository for your digital property that lets you grant access to online assets for friends and loved ones in the event of death or disability". What's really blowing my mind is that there is a part of me that is whispering that this isn't such a bad idea.

The New Workforce - Impact on the Workplace

The New Workforce: Generation Next (Generation Y) in your Organization

3. Organization Scenarios involving Generation Next

Technology and Generation Next

While it may be early in the Nexter's careers to determine the full impact they are having in their place of employment, the presence of Generation Next is already causing changes within organizations. Observations can be made to how members of different generations in the labor force react to the introduction of new technology. As an IT professional and member of Generation X, the author has observed that when new technology is introduced into the work environment:

Veterans tended to retire because they didn't want to make changes in their work habits.
The Boomers usually do not expect the new technology to work and often hold management responsible to fixing any problems related to the change.
Members of Generation X often expect the technology to work, but not without problems. Often the Xers will hold themselves responsible in improving the technology.
Nexters with their optimism and trust in establishment expect the technology will never fail.

If there is a single downfall Nexters have with technology, from personal observation, it is their failure to ask "what would I do if the technology doesn't work" and are unsure how best to work around failed technology. Coming from an information technology background, it has been observed that Nexters are more likely than any other cohort to underestimate the labor and skills needed to provide the reliable computers and communication networks that they use everyday.

As mentioned in the strategy + business report, the "digital natives" have sent and received more than 200,000 e-mails and instant messages by the time they reach college. Nexters have certain expectations as well as demands that the technology they need will be available to them:

Businessweek: China - Falling Hard for Web 2.0

"Chinese teens and twentysomethings, brought up on the bland fare doled out by state-controlled media, are flocking to these sites. "You have this pent-up energy," says Eric Feng, the 28-year-old founder of Mojiti, a Beijing-based startup that allows users to add text and graphics to video clips. "They want to express themselves, but they have so few outlets to do it," says Feng. That desire for self-expression has spurred the explosion of sites specializing in sharing music, videos, pictures, and writing."

Complete Story

Development Seed: Drupal Coder and CitizenSpeak Win!

"I’d [Bonnie Bogle] like to congratulate two Development Seed friends for their excellent work – work so great that it has won the nation’s top prize in public interest computing. George Hotelling beat out some stiff competition to win the Pizzigati Prize for his work with CitizenSpeak!

The Antonio Pizzigati Prize is awarded to developers who create open source applications and tools that nonprofit and advocacy groups can use for social change. And that is exactly what happens with CitizenSpeak."