When you die, who will tell your story?

In your absence, will your friends and family be able to tell the story of your life the way it was meant to be told? Unfortunately, that is a question you will never know the answer to.

But what if you could take an active role in the way you are remembered? The creators of iLivediLoved, a Davis-based Internet startup, believe their new website has the answer to that question.

Created by close friends Jojo Manai, Kristin Mick and Jeff Moore, iLivediLoved was launched in June. The trio spent the past 2 1/2 years developing the ambitious website.

“It’s been kind of like our baby,” the three of them said in an interview.

Upon visiting the website, users are given the opportunity to create their own collection of digital keepsakes. These can include everything from a collection of letters to friends and family, to personal photos and videos. All of this information will remain private and protected on the iLivediLoved servers for the duration of that person’s life.

When an iLivediLoved user dies, all of the media stored in that user’s account will be sent, at a specified time, to the person for whom it was intended.

“It’s about taking control of your own legacy,” said the creators.

But how do they know when to release a user’s potentially very personal memoirs?

“Once you sign up for the site, there is an authorization form you print out that goes with your will,” said Manai, the website’s architect.

The authorization form is then submitted by the head of the estate to iLivediLoved. Upon verifying the death of the account holder, that person’s keepsakes will be released, via an emailed link, to their intended recipients. For added security, users can request that a death certificate be required for authorization.

The original idea for the site presented itself to Moore, a Woodland High School graduate, and the visual designer for iLivediLoved.

“I was overhearing a conversation about mortality,” Moore said. “I  heard somebody say, ‘My story isn’t mine anyway. When you die, someone else tells it for you.’

“It just came to me, with today’s technology, you can tell your own story and leave it with a click of a button.”

For those that aren’t so savvy with today’s technology, however, the trio also offers professionally edited video memoirs for an additional charge, depending on the length and complexity of the piece.

Originally, the iLivediLoved creators saw the website appealing only to those nearing the end of their life, or those with a terminal illness, but they quickly realized their business could have a much broader appeal.

“There’s really no reason for anyone and everyone not to start at any point in their life,” said Mick, a UC Davis graduate who does the writing and marketing for the site.

“There’s a profound opening in the relationship (the user) experiences within themselves — it’s a way to reflect,” Moore said.

For more information, visit http://www.ilivediloved.com.

WebSite06w

From left are Jojo Manai, Kristin Mick and Jeff Moore, creators of the iLivediLoved website. Sue Cockrell/Enterprise photo

WebSite10w

Sue Cockrell/Enterprise photo

Comments

comments