Nigel,

That brings up a topic that probably needs discussing on this board. I would like some input, especially from the principal contributors about how to handle and maintain our digitized research material after death. In the "old" pre-internet days, genealogical material (hard copies) could be easily identified by a next of kin as important and appropriately saved or passed on. Now, with everything on hard drives or CDs or on some remote internet server somewhere, without specific instructions to next of kin, this information can be easily lost.

In my case, probably 95% of my research is stored on my hard drive and backed up to CD. If, God forbid, I were to get hit by a bus tomorrow, I'm afraid that everything would be lost because I don't have any plan set up. My wife isn't computer literate and really has no idea of the scope of my work. She only knows I work on "that family history stuff."

So I've been considering adding to my Letter of Instruction with my will specific instructions with regard to this. However, the more I think about it, the more questions present themselves. Who do I send it to? How is my domain name to be maintained? Should I leave an open request for someone to pick up where I left off? (etc.)

I would like to hear from others that already have something set up and how it will be handled. And with regard to those who have devoted a lifetime to their research and given the rest of us such irreplaceable information (Frances, Nigel, Ian, Brian, Elizabeth, Donna etc) do you all have something set up to ensure that your research is never lost?

Greg