We launched the first version in September 1999 and right away it took off. Right now, the site averages 2,000 hits a day and users come from countries worldwide. But it's inextricably linked to life. A lot of people don't have much compassion for dying. It makes them think about their own mortality and it scares them.
People just believe that they're going to live forever.
The people who seem best prepared for death emotionally are those who have a religious tie, she said. If they believe that life goes on past death, or have strong feelings about an afterlife, they seem more prepared to face it while alive and make arrangements, she said. Richard Krim, who has been an estate planner for 30 years, said that maturity also made people willing to discuss their mortality. There is a personal property allocator, a place to say what you want done with family pets, a digital will, a record keeper where you can direct family members to the place you've stored a will or hospital records, and a place to record your life story for posterity. Each resource center includes links to articles and related Web pages, and chatrooms that feature experts on each of the resource center subjects.