Ask HN: How do you pass on your work when you die? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How do you pass on your work when you die?

35 pointsPascLeRasc24 comments

I'm currently the sole manager of a website hosted on Google Cloud Platform and using Google Domains, so it's all tied to my gmail/google account. I realized recently that if I was to pass away, no one would be able to maintain the site without my Google account information, and I don't know how they could transfer domain ownership. What do you do to mitigate this kind of risk?

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Everything depends on having a person that you can trust. Along with my will and estate plan, I have a technical handover plan ("THP"). The THP for is 2 pages long with the core accounts needed for recreating my technical life. Page 1 is a technical recovery document with instructions that assumes complete loss of all my hardware, for example in a fire. Page 2 lists 1Password vault password key, hardware inventory, cloud accounts, and offsite data back up. For each item, I list some combination of password, ID, license key, two factor recovery key, and where I get a two factor code from. These documents are on file in a trusted person's fire proof safe and with an attorney.

In addition to this documentation, for Gmail and Facebook, I have completed the "I'm dead, do this with my account" sections of my account profiles. Gmail, after 90 days of inactivity, my brother gets an email and gains access to the Gmail account.

Set up access control. I believe Google Cloud applications can be assigned to multiple users, in the same way that a Google Document can. Create a couple of superuser accounts. As long as one person is alive, someone has the proper access to change things if needed.

There are these two stackexchange qna threads [0] [1] that I had bookmarked a while back. I came across another one [2] that mentions something called "bus factor"[3], which I found quite amusing, though this question is about freelancing. I think there is enough material in all these combined and the links they point to to sufficiently address your concerns.

[0] http://programmers.stackexchange.com/questions/125656/softwa...

[1] http://workplace.stackexchange.com/questions/9128/how-can-i-...

[2] http://freelancing.stackexchange.com/questions/126/how-can-w...

[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor

My problem is that I can pay everything in advance to insure myself, but who can make sure everything keeps running on my vps?

I have 2fa everywhere and my close ones won't be able to keep updating my box or troubleshoot... I guess the bank will close my card when I die and I can pay in advance. Currently, I have 3 years of 'insurance' , but what if DO doesn't exist anymore...

I forgot two other pieces of information. I also created a "Life Handover Plan" ("LHP") to go along with the will.

The LHP has a number of sections including the following: 1) a schedule of routine payments made to vendors, the payment amounts, the payment method (check/card/transfer) and the schedule for payment. Some are like yours: years out in future. 2) A file directory structure for each hardware device, highlighting what important data is stored where. Very little of what I back up is actually important for an executor. 3) Contact details for attorney, CPA, foreign contacts for my international affairs, and all people listed in my will.

Regarding 2FA, on the technical recovery plan I outlined above, for each key account protected with 2FA I describe the 2FA recovery procedure. Example, I have the Google back up recovery codes listed. Each 2FA is different. My motto is that if I know how to recover an account secured with 2FA, example if I lose my phone with the Google Authenticator app, I have enough information to document the recovery procedure for a 3rd party.

Do you have a will? Issues such as who will inherit copyright ownership of your work should be handled there.

As for passwords, keys and so on, you can put all that into a single archive. (eg. regularly export your password manager, put any private keys you want to pass on, instructions for how to use them, etc)

Encrypt the tarball/zip file with a symmetric key.

Then you can use Shamir's Secret Sharing Scheme to split up the key so that a certain threshold of key holders is required to access the data (eg. Any 2 of 4): http://point-at-infinity.org/ssss/

Distribute the parts of the key to your heirs.

Leave instructions in your will so your heirs can locate the encrypted file when the time comes.

Kind of an interesting thing, but nothing is guaranteed. The only things that are probably guaranteed are the websites with boards, major social media networks, with CEOs who make sure that they get passed on. Apple is a pretty good example. I currently run a popular website, http://www.confessionsoftheprofessions.com and I have hundreds of companies and individuals that rely on me every year to publish their articles. The thought always crosses my mind to know what would they do if something would happen to me.. sure, the site would die and they would probably just find somewhere else to publish their new articles, but I would certainly love to know it would continue without me, but its a blog that I know how to run and I've not really taught anyone else how to "process" articles, so I suppose it will go with me. I have mentioned it to my fiancee and left her with the username and passwords, and even if she doesn't process any new articles, I would hope that she at least pays to keep the server and hosting going! At least Google and the Internet archive might do something with it.

google has a mechanism for such things in place it's called "account inactivity". Basically you setup a contact person to whom your account will be handed over after a certain time has passed and you haven't logged in.

I was shocked to hear recently of a local business owner who I knew that died suddenly-- still young in his mid-50s. Super sharp guy, a systems guy. He had a contingency plan in place.

Folks speculate that he must have known something. But his wife insists he was always a planner. The business appears to be busy and humming along fine. In many ways a tribute to what he built. Certainly a huge relief to his family, employees, and customers.

Here's good link on contingency planning> https://partners-network.com/2013/10/17/contingency-plan-for...

Isn't the real answer to this to start a company (or some other form of organization)? Then the accounts and other ownerships are no longer tied to a single individual but to a virtual entity that can be controlled by other individuals when needed.

This. Why aren't more people thinking about this? Just start a company, get a partner or two and you're good to go.

One thing I've considered too as I begin to work with more and more developers on larger projects is the good ole 'Bus Factor [0]. In short, it's determining whether or not your project can be sustained should the major contributor or 'main brain' behind the project get hit by a bus. The entire objective is to reduce the number of places the project can fail, simply by having one member pass unexpectedly. Should you steer clear of avoiding a single point of failure? Absolutely. Is it always avoidable? Absolutely not.

[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor

A bit tangential but this may be part of the solution: https://www.deadmansswitch.net/

Nice, but what if the site / owner dies and then I'm uninsured.. :)

There can only be a risk mitigation through redundant (similar) services. There aren't any 100% solid insurances. Think about the reasons why force majeure clauses exist. A lot of things can happen and no one can cover you 100% because no one is omnipotent (just think about what an insurer can do if all your heirs die too).

I asked about this years ago, I think it was PairNic. They said file a legal document and send them a copy.

So, there's the technical route, whoever has the passwords wins.

But if it matters, and you don't want your technical heirs to be fighting each other, you should probably establish ownership and succession with a lawyer.

I used to concern myself with this, but eventually realised that it doesn't really matter, as I'll be permanently dead and gone. And in time, so will everyone who ever knew me.

In the grand scheme of things, we're all irrelevant. And in the end, none of this really matters.

Will figure it out when that happens.

That's what children are for.

Don't.

Concentrate on living a healthier/safer life and keep it going longer.

This is pretty ridiculous advice.

Death has a 100% chance of happening to all of us, and it is rarely predictable.

Being healthy and safe won't save you from a drunk driver, for example.

Seriously, not having your own burial arrangements, design headstone and plot already paid/picked out is nearly as bad as people whom selfishly commit suicide, get into drugs and/or make their lives trainwrecks and shift the costs, burden and agony onto the living. In the mortuary industry, it's called "pre-need" and it's way cheaper (adjusted for inflation) to get it done in today's money than decades later. Plus, there's pre-need cremation for those whom don't want to go in the ground in a vault+casket, which also cheaper.

I would worry less about drink drivers.

Live your life is my advise.

Reality is after handing over the site it'll possibly die anyway.

Why would you care? You'd be dead.

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