Comments on: Geek tragedy and website pensions http://james.lab6.com/2007/06/12/geek-tragedy-and-website-pensions james.lab6.com Fri, 21 Nov 2008 08:56:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: james http://james.lab6.com/2007/06/12/geek-tragedy-and-website-pensions#comment-406 james Sat, 16 Feb 2008 20:56:09 +0000 http://james.lab6.com/2007/06/12/geek-tragedy-and-website-pensions/#comment-406 Since I'm not actually a hedge fund manager or anything like that, I'd assume a long-term rate of return of 5%. Further assuming you're happy being hosted on a DreamHost-level service, the fund will need to produce about $120 a year. So a lump sum of $2400 is required. I'd have to start paying out the returns as soon as you died, so it would be in my interest to keep you alive for as long as possible, pocketing that yearly $120 until it's finally necessary. More complicated schemes might end up giving me a financial incentive to bring that end closer :) But of course I'm <i>not</i> planning on getting into this business just yet, and DreamHost-level service is not too onerous, so I'd be happy to do this for you for free :) The real money is in providing higher service level agreements and applying more actuarial magic to the problem. You'd probably need some mechanism to deal with the possibility of going out of business and taking your e-graveyard with you - I'd certainly want some assurance that my affairs were being looked after professionally, since six feet under is no position to sue from. So yeah, I'll look after your sites for you, but I can't as yet provide any guarantees as to what happens after <i>I</i> die too. For now, I'll just try not to let that happen. Since I’m not actually a hedge fund manager or anything like that, I’d assume a long-term rate of return of 5%. Further assuming you’re happy being hosted on a DreamHost-level service, the fund will need to produce about $120 a year. So a lump sum of $2400 is required. I’d have to start paying out the returns as soon as you died, so it would be in my interest to keep you alive for as long as possible, pocketing that yearly $120 until it’s finally necessary. More complicated schemes might end up giving me a financial incentive to bring that end closer :)

But of course I’m not planning on getting into this business just yet, and DreamHost-level service is not too onerous, so I’d be happy to do this for you for free :)

The real money is in providing higher service level agreements and applying more actuarial magic to the problem. You’d probably need some mechanism to deal with the possibility of going out of business and taking your e-graveyard with you - I’d certainly want some assurance that my affairs were being looked after professionally, since six feet under is no position to sue from.

So yeah, I’ll look after your sites for you, but I can’t as yet provide any guarantees as to what happens after I die too. For now, I’ll just try not to let that happen.

]]> By: dave http://james.lab6.com/2007/06/12/geek-tragedy-and-website-pensions#comment-405 dave Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:26:41 +0000 http://james.lab6.com/2007/06/12/geek-tragedy-and-website-pensions/#comment-405 Can I write this in my Will for you to do for me? I'll leave the passwords in the layer's safe. How much do you think the principle should be? Can I write this in my Will for you to do for me? I’ll leave the passwords in the layer’s safe.

How much do you think the principle should be?

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