Digital and printed cemeteries, and what we do with them.

[alfreda89]

My friend artist Douglas Potter​ found this over at the Times. How many of you have similar ceremonies? I have old address books from the beginning of my career. I used to type on the back of old business cards and paper clip people's info into the book, because my handwriting is large, and people move a lot.

Enter digital address books, which never displayed all the data I wanted to keep together. Then my digital address books started dumping--or the programs became obsolete. This happened when I was ill, so getting things transferred over didn't happen. If I used to have your address? This is why you don't hear from me. I don't have it anymore.

But I can't bring myself to cut off dead Facebook accounts, or toss old phone number lists (I just tried to make myself do it. I think I tucked it back into a box.) I don't envy future scholars. We have made it much harder for them to figure out who the people of the late 20th-early 21st century were. Because we keep remaking ourselves, and corporations don't care if we can carry our past with us.

Comments

[deborahjross.livejournal.com]

I like to keep old address books, although it's sometimes sad to see how many of those folks have died.

[martianmooncrab.livejournal.com]

still analong on my address book... I dont trust electrons

[starcat-jewel.livejournal.com]

I don't have any trouble tossing out old address books, although I do generally look thru them first to see if there's anything I should save. Outdated information is one of the banes of my life.

OTOH, there are indeed a number of people on my Facebook friendslist who are deceased. It doesn't do me any harm to leave them there, and the only time I notice them is when I'm sending out party invitations.

[morfin.livejournal.com]

I've had friends in the online world of Second Life who have died. I still have them on my friends list in the game, where their profile shows just like they are still alive.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Yes, although I am reaching the point where downsizing has me asking "Why am I keeping addresses from the 1980s?"

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

Getting so I don't, either. Very careful with those electrons.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

This is why I say I don't have people's addresses. I have no clue if it is outdated info.

[alfreda89.livejournal.com]

That's the kind of thing I do. I don't delete people from blogs or Facebook. They live on in cyberspace, as well as traveling on.