Legacy data

Speaking of endings, have you thought about who will inherit your digital data? John Boudreau of the San Jose Mercury News examines a growing issue of today's world:

When we die, we leave many things behind. These days, that includes a digital life.

There are private online journals, e-mail missives to long-ago loves and important financial documents -- not to mention records of instant-message chats and Web surfing habits.

``People need to be aware of the fact they are leaving a digital trail,'' said Roy Litherland, a San Jose attorney who specializes in estate planning and living trusts. Indeed, new software programs like Google Desktop Search literally record every move people make online or on their computers.

Who is entitled to that material when you die is a question now being grappled with in the legal world, by Internet service providers as well as by family members. There are no laws that specifically address digital property.

But in the digital era, people must think about their online assets.