What happens when we're gone?

[Martin29]

This might seem morbid but I wonder what will happen in this brave new world of clouds..

In years gone by, when someone passed away, their books, records, papers, photos etc were often left to the children or some other appropriate individual or group.

Now it seems, all our purchases of music, ebooks, films etc. Plus our family photos, documents and other miscelleanious data will be sitting in a cloud somewhere.. How can I leave them to my children? How can they recover them and download them to their own cloud? Or are we obliged to leave everything to the big apple in the sky?

As a historian and genealogist this is an important issue. As a father I'd like to think the things I valued could be passed on to my children.

Above all I'd hate to think I'd paid for a purchase, but in fact recieved a rental.

Any thoughts?

 

[jakeacc]

Just make sure to include your Apple ID and password in your will. Your loved ones can then download the neccesary media.

This is A LOT more convenient/efficient and less traumatic than having them manually going through shoeboxes of photos, random boxes of records/CDs in the garage, etc.

 

[Martin29]

Your loved ones can then download the neccesary media.
QUOTE]

But can they then transfer my music etc to their own accounts? If that was the case then you could give me temporary access to your account and donate me a copy of your music library.. The record labels might not be too happy about that.

 

[Yumunum]

Just make sure to include your Apple ID and password in your will. Your loved ones can then download the neccesary media.

This is A LOT more convenient/efficient and less traumatic than having them manually going through shoeboxes of photos, random boxes of records/CDs in the garage, etc.

Yep, give the login information for every account they might need to get stuff from on your will.

Or create a wild goose chase before you die that will have them searching for clues and hand written notes from you until they find your computer

 

[maclaptop]

This might seem morbid but I wonder what will happen in this brave new world of clouds..

In years gone by, when someone passed away, their books, records, papers, photos etc were often left to the children or some other appropriate individual or group.

Now it seems, all our purchases of music, ebooks, films etc. Plus our family photos, documents and other miscelleanious data will be sitting in a cloud somewhere.. How can I leave them to my children? How can they recover them and download them to their own cloud? Or are we obliged to leave everything to the big apple in the sky?

As a historian and genealogist this is an important issue. As a father I'd like to think the things I valued could be passed on to my children.

Above all I'd hate to think I'd paid for a purchase, but in fact recieved a rental.

Any thoughts?

As I see it there are many choices, each with it's own subset of challenges. Here are the three the come to mind as I see it.

1) Allow Apple to move all your data to the cloud, thereby entrusting them with everything, and exposing it to anyone they allow to see it.

2) Control your data yourself and decide what type of backup system you will use in house.

3) Use a combination of 1 & 2, as follows. Put some of your data in the cloud, and some of it resident in your own backup system.

Keep all personal info like financials and the like in your closed personal network.

Put the other files that are not personal to the extent that financial and medical records are, up in the cloud.

The obvious is to remember that the minute you release it and put it up in anyones cloud, you are risking losing it, or worse.

Being very protective of my data, I have a closed (not connected to the internet) Server Network at home. All my files reside on that network, which is backed up twice a day.

I also use a protected WiFi network at home, but not for anything mission critical.

When I'm out and about using an open public WiFi network, I am simply mindful of that and limit my usage accordingly.

 

[wackymacky]

Your loved ones can then download the neccesary media.
QUOTE]

But can they then transfer my music etc to their own accounts? If that was the case then you could give me temporary access to your account and donate me a copy of your music library.. The record labels might not be too happy about that.

This is likely a complex legal issue. Take Airpoints for example. Some airlines let you Will them to your next of kin and some don't.

The terms and conditions state "You may not rent, lease, lend, sell, transfer, redistribute, or sublicense......". Does transfer include passing on after death, quite likely.


The un-used cash balance in an iTunes account is not transferable to another. This has been chalanged, and is outlined Apple's terms and conditions.

 

[jive turkey]

Given that there is a limit on "authorized devices," just make sure you don't have too many kids. I would hate to see them fighting over your AppleID.

 

[^^BIGMac]

@ Martin29 ---- surely you have more important things to stress about in your life. Settle down bro. When you're "gone" let it be somebody else's problem.