Quick Start

In this book I lead you through a process of compiling, documenting, and preserving information that you’ll leave for future generations. For the most part, later topics build upon earlier topics, so I strongly recommend reading the book in linear order. (You may, however, choose to skip chapters or topics that don’t apply to you.)

Take preliminary steps:

• Learn about the benefits and challenges of planning for your digital legacy; see Envision Your Digital Legacy.
• Make detailed lists of your major types of digital data in Inventory Your Digital Assets.
• Decide what types of data you’ll preserve for the future, who will handle your digital estate, what file formats to use, and more; see Make High-level Decisions.

Prepare major categories of data for archiving:

• Scan (or have someone else scan) and organize photographs and documents that currently exist only on paper; see Digitize Photos and Documents.
• Make sure someone else will have the usernames, passwords, and other details necessary to access all your accounts; see Deal with Passwords.
• Provide instructions for both ongoing access to your email account(s) and how to deal with all your saved messages; see Deal with Email.
• Decide whether your social media accounts should be preserved (online or offline) and whether any final messages should be posted; see Deal with Social Media.
• Make decisions about the files and software on your computer and in the cloud, plus backups and other miscellaneous items; see Deal with Other Digital Data.

Assemble the pieces:

• Make one or more copies of your digital data on media that’s likely to last quite a while; see Preserve Your Data for Posterity.
• Create a file that includes your digital will, your data, detailed instructions, and other components of your digital legacy; see Create a Legacy Dossier.