3 weeks ago, I was interviewed in a Berlin radioshow about this topic.
Unluckily, both my preparation and the transcript are in German.
However, I’ve created a public MindMap that might be useful as a starter: Liveschalte mit RadioEins Berlin
More food can be found on my website Coterminus. As this is in German, too, please use Google Translate.
Happy to help.
Cheers
P.S.: This is not purely a technical challenge. There is a lot of legal stuff to comply to. Particularly in Germany… It is NOT only about passwords and tickboxes. This also is about the right order in a pretty challenging process. It is also about communications.
My eldest son and I exchanged login IDs and 1Password master passwords. He’s well versed in DT. The main family and legal database is clear and straightforwardly organised. Not too worried. Thinking of asking that they zap the lot once they’ve done with it. Let my legacy be physical.
I’m late to this discussion, but have ideas as to disposition of my documents after I ‘pass on’
I’m thinking it’s unreasonable to expect family members to access DT, or any other software we have on our computer
My data backups include a full export of DT data on a USB Stick Drive
This is recreated weekly using the File > Export > Files/Folder feature
It’s a universal method of exchanging documents
As to notification, I have a ‘deadman switch’ applescript running daily on my Mac Mini
The trigger is my daily journal; separate notes in DT
If the current date file doesn’t exist, a reminder email is sent to myself
After n days, an email is sent to family members
A final email is sent to family, with a summary of important details etc
I first thought of and executed a plan in 2017 when North Korea fired two missiles over Japan, one in August and one in September, and I had to go for meetings in Tokyo and Kobe that October.
I decided for the system not to be overly complicated and created an encrypted thumb drive which contained instructions in plain text and RTFD’s on how to access my 1Password, bank details, etc and step-by-step instructions on how to deal with life insurance, stock options, broker, crypto wallets etc. (I call this my “Red Book”.)
I thought my family would not be interested in 99% of the data I have stored, except for my “archived correspondences” which contains digitised letters, emails, forms etc going back to the 1990’s. In setting up DT3 I made sure that this was “Indexed”, and hence access would be simple regardless whether DT3 is used. In any case, my thumb drive contains instructions on where the folder is and how to access it.
Before I left I told my wife where the thumb drive was hidden in my study, gave instructions, and put the password to access it in her 1Password database.
So now I remind myself to update the thumb drive once in a while, since a system is already in place. Soon I will give my daughters similar instructions on how to access “the Red Book”.
In case anyone missed it, in the upcoming MacOS Monterey, Apple is introducing “Digital Legacy”. Essentially you can designate another person with an AppleID to have access to your Apple account when you have shuffled off this mortal coil…
