The amount of data on one's headstone, because it's literally written in stone, is necessarily tiny. "DOB", "DOD", "Beloved Spouse of..." and not much else.
I propose carving in a QR Code onto each headstone where a multimedia presentation could have all of that info, plus the Obituary customarily found in the newspaper with actual pre-recorded video of the Departed recounting their Highs and Lows in their life and telling their relatives which ones were secretly hated and so on.
Simply prepay before death for up to 100 years archiving. Steep Discounts available if you include an exhortation for your bereaved visitors to have a cool, frosty beer at the nearby tavern then get their wheels aligned at the friendly DriveRight Wheel Alignment Centre on the way home.
It would provide much more entertainment value for casual graveyard visitors than taking charcoal rubbings.-- AusCan531, Aug 31 2021 Better than stone heads? https://www.cbsnews...frozen-head-abused/hooked-on-cryonics [4and20, Sep 03 2021] Graveyard Orbit for People Graveyard_20orbit_20for_20peopleThe source of my misreading to give me the idea [AusCan531, Sep 03 2021] Excellent, simple, and stole my business concept, which has been in highly dubious development for years.
On the other hand, you'd be surprised at how little effort many relatives will make to preserve someone's memory. Celebrities, published authors, people who ran for president -- all people with name value, and their families won't even pay to keep their basic web page active.-- 4and20, Aug 31 2021 A QR code is far too impermanent. I propose a robust chip to be physically placed in the center of the headstone capable of returning information via radio wave to any inquiring device.-- Voice, Aug 31 2021 A QR code necessitates an external database of some sort. Better to contain all the data on the headstone. NFC (as per [Voice], above) could work, but something easier to "decode" (ie. not encrypted at all...) like an embedded diamond microfiche of words & images only needs a microscope to view.-- neutrinos_shadow, Aug 31 2021 //their families won't even pay to keep their basic web page active//
That's why it's something to be arranged by the soon-to-be- deceased before their own death. The cost can come out of their estate so it's no skin off of their decaying nose.
Thank you [a1], it's not surprising that it has already been put out there.-- AusCan531, Aug 31 2021 //not encrypted at all// No need to decrypt. Did you mean unencode?-- Voice, Aug 31 2021 I read this as "Graveyard Orbit for People" i.e. placing bodies into deep orbit, and my comment is that cryonic freezing (which I am signed up for) is a factor of 50 cheaper than launch to deep orbit.
On second reading, I think this is an excellent idea, and I would suggest a further improvement of adding in addition to the multimedia message a file repository, for the departed to share files which they consider interesting. My life-style includes arguing about controversial ideas on the Internet, so I have a collection of interesting files. I have not made any powerful enemies as far as I know, but just in case, I would like this headstone QR code to allow people to download and peruse my collection of deeply problematic content, should they so desire.
Maybe even put the QR codes on the wheels and on the beers too.-- sninctown, Sep 03 2021 Since I already brought up treatment after death, I'll take a crack at cryonic freezing [link].-- 4and20, Sep 03 2021 Hi [sninctown]. The idea "Graveyard Orbit for People" was posted recently (Link) and it was my misreading that gave me this idea.-- AusCan531, Sep 03 2021 hello! yes. so i see, now. good. < returning to mental deep orbit >-- sninctown, Sep 03 2021 It's a pretty story, but I don't really get what it's saying.-- Voice, Sep 22 2021 How would the ability to clarify your last words make death mundane?-- Voice, Sep 22 2021 random, halfbakery