Topic: Emails to the dead

When I was a young lad I saw the Indiana Jones films and was captivated. I felt an inexplicable urge to travel to desolate places and dig stuff up. I went on to study archaeology and then anthropology in graduate school. I have travelled the world, from Norway, Thailand, Hong Kong etc. (I now live in Japan) in a fruitless effort to find adventure and excitement.

Anyway, after the professional and academic aspects of the enterprise became apparent to me I eventually started to collect. At first it was the 3&3/4 inch Kenner figures and then the 12" Kenner figure and then the Japanese Toys McCoy figure. I went on to purchase the original Hat, jacket, shirt, trousers, boots, shoulder bag, whip and even the pistol all made by the same manufacturers that made the props for the films.

Last year I wanted to pick up a new shirt to wear for everyday use. I sent an email to the gentleman who crafted the shirt, trousers and bag for the films. He and I had developed a report over the years. He even sent me Christmas cards. What a class act. I sent several emails to make my order. I waited for his response with enthusiasm. I know he is a busy person because he and his company produced props for a wide variety of film and stage productions.

After several weeks I decided to contact Mr. Peter Botwright, the man who produced the Indy jacket. He informed me that Noel Howard, the dear, kind man who produced the shirt and trousers had passed on.

The reason I bring this up is because it speaks to the issue of modern communication. I sent several emails but got no reply. I thought that Mr. Howard was too busy to reply. I was wrong. He could not reply because he was gone.

As we move on in this modern age there will be more emails sent to those who can no longer receive them. Emails to the dead...

Something to think about.

Odd post...what Im more interested in is the Indy collecting. Have you seen my Indy collection thread?

I understand what you mean, Tachyon. It is a weird thought. It could happen to any one of us. One day we just stop posting and no one knows why. It happened once with a member here years ago, he stopped posting and then a while later (month and a half?) he came back and said he'd been in a motorcycle accident. It was sort of scary.

Well even with my Uncle's death a month ago, people were writing on his facebook wall for about a day after his death asking him stuff until my aunt deleted his profile.  It definitely is a weird thing.  Almost surreal seeing stuff he was writing almost until he died.

I'm very very sorry that your uncle has died Sev :(

I'm sure he was a very very kind nice man.

I hope he is safe and happy in heaven. :)

I think some of this happens because no one cares enough to leave someone with a message to the people they know online, nor do a lot of people seem to care why someone stops posting or not. I am sometimes curious though as to why someone drops off the face of the internet. Usually its a loss of interist. Sometimes its a lack of internet or computer. And I guess, sometimes, they vanish because they die.

I can only imagine what you guys thought after I vanished for more then two years. XD

Well. and it's weird because there are two or three people among my orbit of contacts that have just stopped replying. For one of the people it has been well over five years. I really have no idea what happened to her. She may be "gone" too for all I know. Like you said above, I hope she just hasn't bothered to care enough to keep me updated because we had a solid relationship, on and off the net, so I really have no idea else what to think. I hope she is okay.

I am posting again because I really would like to get some more feedback. I mean, we are the first generation that has to face this issue. I have a feeling that this would make a great plot for a film or a comic book script. Receiving emails from the other side!

There are a few people that have vanished for me. I think most were simply the case of our friendship fading. One persons computer died suddenly, and due to money issues it took a long time to get a new one. And at that point they could no longer afford internet access. But that person -did- reappear again, but would only show up from time to time (again, because of said reasons). The others just kind of dissapeared. One of them, actually, being a member here that apparently vanished shortly before my return. Sad, really, considering she was the only one here that was really interisted in my Cecilia story and I had completed it recently....

What's your "Cecilia story"?

This is fascinating! An article dealing about just exactly what we're talking about here. http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090314/ap_on_hi_te/tec_death_online I find the concept of these sites interisting, although I lack cash to set up an account of course. Still, its a neat little coincidence, eh?

Oh, jeeze! I didn't think anyone would ask about the story. Erm, I'll send you a PM about the details to stay on topic.

That makes me think of the WoW player who died at like age 12 or something, and Blizzard actually had a funeral for her character in-game (after the girl's parents called and arranged it) before closing the account.

A funeral for your in-game character after *you* die for real?

I think it's a bit off. Online friends count, of course, and they should be informed when you go, but... I think it's a bit big to handle for her little friends. It's one thing to get told that one of your friends died, it's another when it's someone you merely knew, just in a game, and you see a little sprite (or whatever pixel thing) impersonate them and play their death. I think it's ridiculous, and not appropriate.

The idea is interesting indeed!