Dead Men Don’t Blog

If I died today, nobody would be able to log into my blog.

I've suddenly realized that is an important problem that could become an urgent one in the blink of an eye.

But wait. It gets worse.

I own HUNDREDS of domain names, and have DOZENS of live, active websites. You can see that this multiplies my problem. Not only can nobody log into my blog, they also can't log into my other sites.

Obviously, as the subject line of this email intimates, “dead men don't blog”.

And they also don't market.

Or Twitter.

Or Facebook.

So I've got some work to do, preparing for the inevitable day when my keyboard will go silent.

Why Am I Even Writing About This Today?

Well, I'm not being morbid. And I don't mean to depress you or weird you out. But I was reading a post over at Dave Winer's blog, about how he's maintaining two online archives for relatives who have passed away.

Reading Dave's article on this subject made me realize…

  1. If I die and want my work to live beyong the next hosting bill, I need to have a post-mortem plan for my blog.
  2. If I die and DON'T want my work to live on, there needs to be a plan for how to get it OFF the web (some of my hosting is paid WAY in advance or is on auto-pay).

Regardless, I Need A Plan. And So Do You.

What about your sites?

Especially if you have a business (and even if you don't), you need to have a plan.

At the very least, you could create a simple set of instructions and a list of your logins.  My plan, in case you're interested, includes the following steps:

  1. Create a list of all my domain/blogs/hosting accounts login URL's and passwords.
  2. Specific instructions about what needs to be done with each site.
  3. Create some “post-Ray” emails that will let any readers or subscribers know what the status of the website is.
  4. Create instructions about what to do with any merhcant or payment systems that are set up for the sites.

That's just the rough draft of my plan, written on the fly. I'm sure I'll refine it. It'll take some time. But it will save someone (probably someone I love) a lot of work and frustration.

It is also good service to my readers and customers.

What about you?

Do you have a “Dead Man Plan” for your websites? Do you have suggestions for something I should add to my plan? If so – add your voice to the discussion below.

Ray Edwards is a world-renowned copywriter and communications strategist, writing for some of the most powerful voices in leadership and business including New York Times bestselling authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen (Chicken Soup for the Soul) and Tony Robbins. Ray is a sought-after speaker and author, hosts a popular weekly podcast, and blogs at RayEdwards.com.