Before we kick things off in 2015….

 2014 has been an eventful year for DeadSocial with great highs and lows. Here is a quick recap from the social media grapevine.

 

January 2014

 

“I’ve signed up for DeadSocial, and I’ve chosen my first message from the other side: It’s just a matter of time for you guys, too. Better get your digital affairs in order.” – Time to plan our online estates, The Boston Globe

• DeadSocial are featured in Lifehacker Japan 自分が死んだら、FacebookやTwitterのアカウントはどうなるのか http://www.lifehacker.jp/2014/01/140118deal_with_death.html 
• DeadSocial are featured on BBC Wales http://deadsocial.org/blog/106-bbc-wales 

 

February 2014

“DeadSocial helps Facebook and Twitter users prepare items to be posted at specific future dates and can help send (prepared) messages to loved ones, for example, on their birthdays well into the future” –  ‘Palliative Social Media‘, British Medical Journal

• In February we started to devise and plan the symbiotic ‘LivInfographic’ & ‘Digital Death Survey 2014′.

 

 The image above is the concept design for the ‘Liv-Infographic’ and how the installation would later appear once built on Camden High Street, London.

 

March 2014

“Usted muere: ¿Qué pasa con su rastro en la web?”  – El espectador.coml espectador.com

 

 

• In March 2014 the World lost Lawrence Darani: http://www.deadsoci.al/blog/107-lawrence-darani 
• Work on the new DeadSocial.org website design begins

 

 

April 2014

 

• DeadSocial’s Pop-Up shop for Dying Matters Awareness Week is announced http://deadsocial.org/blog/110-deadsocials-dying-matters-awareness-week-pop-up-shop-returns
• DeadSocial are featured in AVG’s eBook ‘dealing with digital death’  http://deadsocial.org/blog/109-digital-death 
• We announce the ‘You Only Die Once’ Art exhibition and call for entries
• DeadSocial are accepted into Google Developers ‘Launchpad’ Programme

 

 

May 2014 

“The social networking tool that enables you to say goodbye to your friends on Facebook and Twitter once you are dead” – eHospice

• DeadSocial worked at Google whilst attaining (incredible) support, encouragement and advice. http://www.deadsocial.org/blog/115-google-launchpad
• DeadSocial ran the ‘The You Only Die Once Pop-Up Shop’ for Dying Matters Awareness Week 2014. This ran for 5 days and nights. It featured a range of great charities, organisations and artists.  http://www.deadsocial.org/blog/113-dying-matters-popup 

 

DeadSocial’s Pop-up Shop with Save the Make, supporting CLAM.

• We carried out the digital death survey alongside the Liv-INFOGRAPHIC’ (the Living-Infographic) http://www.deadsocial.org/blog/116-livinfographic

 

June 2014

“Users can upload an unlimited number of photos, video, audio and text messages which will be sent out on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the DeadSocial website after their death. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/07/web-immortality-social-media-sites-alive-die-digital?CMP=twt_gu 

• New copy and tutorials are written and made live at  http://deadsocial.org/resources 

 

 

August  2014

 

• DeadSocial.org is made live (under secure login) migration of old site to the new beings
• Wesite development continues http://deadsocial.org/blog/216-deadsocial-version-2-a-sneak-peak 
• DeadSocial announced as a finalist in the Good Funeral Awards http://www.goodfuneralguide.co.uk/2014/08/years-good-funeral-award-finalists 

 

September 2014

“DeadSoci.al looks to distribute your social media farewells – allowing you to create text, video and image rich content to be posted across Facebook and Twitter. These guys are proactive lobbyists in the death stakes, running very melancholic awareness workshops with snappy sadcore titles like “You Only Die Once”, and hosting bizarre parties that people like Jordan from Rizzle Kicks DJ at. The question is: how much do you really give a shit about maintaining a social presence once you’re dead?” http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/how-to-prepare-for-your-digital-afterlife-joe-zadeh-212

• Call for selected industry leaders to contribute their expertise on the DeadSocial site.
• Bug testing the new site, fix issues as and when they appeared in testing cycle.
• We gave a seminar and exhibited at the wonderful and unique ‘Ideal Death Show‘ Birmingham

 

October 2014

 

• DeadSocial’s work is featured in ‘Digital Death: Mortality and Beyond in the Online Age’ publication http://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Death-Mortality-Beyond-Online/dp/1440831327 
• We participated in London Month of the Dead http://deadsocial.org/blog/215-behold-london-month-of-the-dead 
• We spoke at the excellent Dying Matter Day of the Dead Conference 
  

 

November 2014

 

“Du kan leva vidare digitalt när du dött” – Sverige Radio

• We addressed digital death out digital legacy at Mindshares, Huddle (13th November) – Mindshare, London (full agenda)
• We got a little shout out on the Queen Latifah Show 

 

• We presented at Health 2.0 Europe and discussed death in relation to today’s digital world. http://deadsocial.org/blog/217-deadsocial-helping-to-address-shhhh-topics-at-health-2-0-europe 
• We gave a virtual seminar at the ‘Transition in Palliative Care’ study day: http://deadsocial.org/blog/220-transition-in-palliative-care-study-day 
• We gave three workshops at the Macmillan Primary Care conference (with Dr Mark Taubert and Dr Johnny Browne – http://deadsocial.org/blog/222-macmillan-primary-care-conference. 

      

• A review from the workshops can be read here: http://blogs.bmj.com/spcare/2014/12/04/palliating-social-media-a-seminar-workshop-at-the-macmillan-professionals-conference-in-london

 

December 2014

“Ölümdən sonra həyat” – Publika (Azerbaijani, Video in Russian) http://publika.az/p/57522

• We announced ‘Adopt a Grave’, a new initiative with Brompton Cemetery http://deadsocial.org/features/our-initiatives/adopt-a-grave
• Downloading your media from Instagram using ‘Instaport’. Legacy / End of life planning tutorial created in wake of ‘Instagram Rapture’ update: http://deadsocial.org/resources/social-media-accounts/instagram 

  

In the year 2015 we will…

 

• Launch new and improved tools, features and tutorials.
• Improve the sites user experience.
• Expand our dedicated area for Healthcare professionals, funeral directors and carers wanting to learn more about digital death, digital legacy and digital end of life planning. http://deadsocial.org/resources/healthcare-professional-carers-area
• Evaluate ‘Adopt a Grave’ and discuss if the initiative merits expanding into other cemeteries.
• Run the first ever ‘Digital Legacy Conference. Call for Papers & sponsorship opportunities can be found here: http://deadsocial.org/features/our-initiatives/digital-legacy-conference
• Continue to support those of us wanting to take responsibility for our own digital legacy and say “goodbye” in our unique way

 

*Please get in touch if you would like to collaborate, contribute or work with us in 2015 http://deadsocial.org/contact-us