Category Archives: Web/Tech
Facebook Adds “Legacy Contact” Option (Plus, I’m now on Twitter)
Almost exactly one year ago, I posted about a policy change that Facebook had made with respect to accounts of deceased individuals (see “Facebook Makes Memorialized Accounts More Public“, February 25, 2014). Last year, Facebook’s change fixed the privacy settings for “memorialized accounts” so that they would not be changed after death. When I… Read More »
WBEZ Tech Shift Podcasts on Death in the Digital Age
A couple weeks ago, Chicago’s public radio station WBEZ 91.5 FM, ran a series of four short podcasts on its ‘Tech Shift’ channel on the subject of death in the digital age and how technology is changing the way we handle death. The topics included a new Cook County ‘digital cemetery’ program, a discussion… Read More »
Illinois Emergency Contact Database
In July 2009, the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office created an Emergency Contact Database. The program is free and voluntary and allows any Illinois ID cardholder (e.g. driver’s license, instruction permit or ID card) to designate one or two people to be contacted in case of an emergency, such as an auto crash. In… Read More »
Short Answers to Long-Tail Google Search Questions
Every once in awhile I check out our website’s Google Analytics page. It details things like how people find our website, what page they land on and where they are located. In the past, I would see almost all of the search queries. Over the last year though, Google changed its privacy settings such… Read More »
6 Charitable Giving Internet Research Tools
Charitable giving is a wonderful way to create a legacy, not only for yourself, but also to express your values to your children and to encourage them to become better citizens. But if you’re going to donate your hard-earned resources, you want to make wise choices. Part of the process includes working with an… Read More »
Free New Cook County Recorder of Deeds Property Fraud Alert System
The Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds has recently launched a new initiative aimed at helping homeowners discover and combat property and recording fraud. Fraudsters filing forged documents (say that 5 times fast) against a homeowner’s property has become a white-collar crime of choice. In many instances, the homeowner might not learn… Read More »
Tablet Will: Don’t Try This at Home (or in Illinois)
In what appears to be a case of first impression (possibly anywhere), an Ohio probate court judge recently ruled that a Will created by a dying man on a Samsung Galaxy tablet computer could be admitted to probate in Ohio as a valid Will. Javier Castro, who had refused a blood transfusion due to… Read More »
Online Cook County Probate Court Records
I occasionally receive phone calls from probate estate beneficiaries who want to know about probate court proceedings for an estate. They want to know basic information such as the documents that have been filed, the court orders entered or when the next probate court hearing is scheduled. Many county courts now have such information… Read More »