From: garym@mcgath.com   
      
   On 3/24/24 8:16 AM, Keith F. Lynch wrote:   
   > Thanks.  But that just raises (I know better than to say "begs") the   
   > question, how do *they* find out?  If I were to die tomorrow, I don't   
   > think anyone would report my death to them.  If you were to die   
   > tomorrow, would anyone report your death to them?  It would obviously   
   > have to be someone who knew you were dead, so it couldn't be me.   
   >   
   > Similarly with any fan who isn't living with a fan.  Or who had   
   > dropped out of fandom.   
      
   In today's world, I sometimes wonder if it's possible that people lie   
   decomposing at home for months or more without anyone noticing. All   
   their bills are automatically paid. They may have Social Security or   
   other payments automatically going into their bank accounts, so the   
   payments don't run dry.   
      
   If I died today at home, probably no one would notice today, but I make   
   some regular appearances where I'd be missed. On Tuesday, a certain   
   friend would wonder why I didn't show up or answer her calls. On   
   Wednesday, the library would wonder why I missed my tech help   
   appointments. By the next MASSFILC meeting at the latest (I'm clerk and   
   send out the announcements), suspicions would be high and someone with a   
   key would come to my house. (I'm thinking of specific people but prefer   
   not to name them here.) It would get out to the MASSFILC mailing list,   
   and I think that would be enough for someone to submit the information   
   in due course to the Glasgow list.   
      
   The situation was somewhat like that for Ariel (Abby) Cinii. She was   
   found dead at home, exact date and cause of death unknown. Some people   
   checked on her when she stopped making her usual contacts.   
      
   It can take time for the news to reach everyone, especially if you shun   
   Facebook. I learned about filker Rilla Heslin's recent death only from   
   one post on Bluesky that didn't give her last name. She's on the Glasgow   
   list. I make a point of citing filk-related obituaries on my Filk News   
   Mastodon account, figuring some people might not otherwise learn.   
      
   Caution is necessary about reports, though. A few years ago a stalker   
   falsely reported my death on Usenet and elsewhere, as a way to hurt my   
   friends. The report had many inaccurate details, and of course I was   
   around to deny it.   
      
   --   
   Gary McGath    http://www.mcgath.com   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)