Why it is possible to be virtually immortal

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A new app LivesOn will soon allow users to keep posting Twitter updates from beyond the grave by creating a virtual continuation of your personality after you die. The tagline of the app says, “When your heart stops beating, you’ll keep tweeting.”

The app will monitor the user’s online behaviour, observe the trends, and after the demise of the user will continue their digital afterlife. Dead Social is one more app that gives users the ability to send messages after their death through social networking services such as Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Another FB app “If I die” lets users record a video or text message that will only be published in the event of your death.
These apps not only let people decide how they finish their social footprint but also make them virtually available. Does the idea of a digital afterlife excite netizens?
Investment banker and corporate trainer Nitya Prakash was two when his father passed away. His uncle handed over a letter from his father to him. “I still cherish the letter he had kept for me. You feel great when you get memories wrapped in an envelope. I am totally amazed that we now have an application like this. It sounded a bit weird to me in the beginning, but when you sit back and think about it, it actually makes sense. You continue to live for your online friends. You can be virtually immortal,” says Nitya.
“I quite like the idea. Everyone may not want to stay alive in the cyber world, but for those who want to, this could be a good start. However, one can’t not see the flip side as people especially close to the departed one, can feel disturbed watching their online activity,” cautions Karthik Naralasetty, who initiated socialblood.org to help people in need of blood.
Agrees content developer Abhay Kumar, “A dead person’s tweets can be really shocking. But I think it is innovative. I’d like to do this because I would have so much to say once I am gone as it will allow me to keep breathing in the memories of my loved ones.”
On the other hand, there are others who detest the idea and say death is a serious business and even if you continue to live on Twitter or Facebook, it won’t change the reality.
“A person should always be remembered by the life he has lived and not by how exciting and interesting messages he leaves behind or tweets from his grave. My presence in the social networking world will end with me,” says Atul Kumar Thakur.