DyingMessage – Say Goodbye to Your Loved Ones

20 thoughts on “DyingMessage – Say Goodbye to Your Loved Ones”

1. What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
   I like the idea of the site, especially since a lot of death is unexpected and you may not have the time to say what you really would like to say to your relatives. I also like the low yearly cost, it isn’t anything outrageous so it’s likely that more people will consider becoming a member. I am not at all a fan of the pictures on the homepage. They are very tasteless and just plain morbid. I would expect to see more pictures like the one of the family and maybe some nice scenery or flowers. I think a lot of people will be turned off by scenes of destruction and death, especially by the picture of the car accident and military casualties. Those particular images hit home with a lot of people and they could easily offend many.
   What do you think of the sign up process?
   I did not sign up but it seems like a pretty simple process.
   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
   As of right now, I would not. I may reconsider when I am a little older.

2. Feedback sought:

   Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
   

   Sending a dying message (to family and friends?) right before you die.

   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
   

   The font on the homepage is kind of small. I would rather read selling points, in phrase form in larger font, than skim through the 3 lines on your homepage. Very few people are going to read through that. It is very wordy and you could make it easier for someone to figure out what you do.

   You have pictures scrolling through. The natural disaster picture just does not invoke in me a feeling (or relationship) to death. A funeral home would be more fitting.

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
   

   Bothersome: I find your business model bothersome. As an investor, I don’t think you have a viable revenue model. Seriously, who on their deathbed is going to go online and search for a website to leave a dying message. If they are going to leave a dying message, they will use a tape recorder, digital recording device, or a cell phone with a voice recorder, or even a microphone on their computer and recording software. The last one is probably not as likely. When you are on your deathbed, you want to be with loved ones and tell them in person how you feel. I do not think people will go online. Now, you can prove me wrong if you have numbers, cases, facts that state otherwise. These statistics can be posted on your homepage to prove your case.

   What do you think of the sign up process?
   

   Easy and simple.

   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
   

   No. I do not plan on going online to a website right before I die. This would not be convenient. I would rather leave my last words with my lawyer or executor of my estate.

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
   

   Please not that after I made the above comments, I clicked on the “How it works” tab. Now, as a service to share with loved ones that you are still alive after a disaster, this service would be helpful. But I don’t immediately pick that up from your homepage.

   Also, I seriously doubt people would know to come to your website to look for this info. Most people would pick up a phone or email their family to tell them they are alive.

   It would be a big hassle to have to load email addresses/phone numbers into your website and then send out messages.

   Your website is not an established, or well known brand so that people would automatically know to go to you when such a situation presents itself. I think your site/service would go unnoticed or fall between the cracks in such an emergency.

   Also, the commenter before me indicates something about the low yearly costs. I cannot find the pricing page (after intentionally looking for it) and have no idea where this would be found. Do you have a pricing page, and if not, I think you need a navigational tab to specifically go to pricing. People will be looking for this if they are interested in your services.

3. Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
   Withing the first few seconds I though the site was about sick people leaving messages before they die, like cancer patients on their death bed. 

   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site
   Generally the site is very bland, though the topic is very depressing, but the site doesn’t need to be so. Generally the logo could have been better, I had to really sit and think about it before I was able to understand it. The top right hand site seemed sloppy, the section where you have the social networking links etc. The white background is really bland. 

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
   What I find bothersome is how sloppy the links on the top right hand tap are and the blandness of the site. I mean the topic is already depressing, so maybe you could counter that by making the site more appealing instead of bland. Additionally the site especially the homepage seems really empty.
   The section “How it works”, I found that section very boring and more of a comic/joke, which definitely didn’t encourage me to sign up. Instead of using that boring, colorless comic strip and text, you could have used a video explaining and showing how your site works and what significance it has.

   What do you think of the sign up process?
   The sign up process was very straightforward and simple, I especially liked the fact I could sign up by using Facebook which made the process even simpler. 

   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
   I’m 21 death is the last thing I have on my mind right now, and I have no message I would want to send to anyone, I;m very blatant so everyone has already heard what I want/would have wanted to tell them. 

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. 
   For the most part the site was ok, the only issues I had was that it was very empty and bland, maybe you could even have some sample messages or testimonials to make the site more authentic. To make the site more dynamic, instead of using a colorless comic strip, you could have used a video. The homepage was particularly bland and empty. You could have created a side bar to place all the networking links, email, print etc. To me the login on the home page seems a bit misplaced, maybe you could create a separate sidebar for that. Additionally I just wasn’t feeling the logo for your site. You said that this site is targeted towards high risk sports and professionals, but I didn’t see that reflected in the site, when I read that and then completed the first task, I was somehow expecting to see a video of a top high risk athlete or scientist (football, rugby etc shark researcher) explaining how important your services are and why he fount it important to signed up and so on, but you have nothing of that nature

4. Feedback sought:
   Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
   
    
   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
   
    
   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
   
   I find the concept slightly bothersome… I just think its irrey that your family will get a message after you die. In the FAQ section it asks how do we know if you have died? The entire thought of death and death wishes is scary.
   What do you think of the sign up process?
   
   Very easy and basic sign up form, nothing to it!
   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
   
   No. I suppose if I had a life threatening illness and was given a time frame, it could be useful, however instead of using the site I would rather spend my final days with my family than having a website given my final wishes.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
   
   Over all, I think they layout of the site is rather boring. I know the subject is death, and doesn’t need to be flashy or bright colors. The simplicity of the city veers me away and loses an interested.

   Under the “how it works” tab the use cartoon illustrations to decribe the services. I think this takes a light hearted approach but also questions, is this site for real?

   I still just have a problem with this concept and think my friends and family might take it as a suicide note.
    

5. Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?

   The site is about writing an dying message to the one that we love when we knew he/she just left not much time to live or is in a unknown situation.

   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.

   The homepage looks simple and is clear about what the site is about. For the description i think you can write it in a bigger font size and make it shorter, for reader easy to understand and read. When visitor so a long sentences they usually lazy to read it so make it short or maybe you can have a video about 1mins explain what the site is about and how it works with some pictures. The how it works page is simple and provide a useful and short guide. The FAQ provided relevant and common questions which is also useful. I suggest you can have a box for visitor to write in and ask for a question if they have any. it would be more user friendly and convenient for the user. 
   

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?

   What i like is that the site is simple and easy to understand, which does not look complicated and full of articles or words. i also like that you have a slide shows to make the site enviroment looks more into your site title. You can provide more relevant pictures. You also connect to other social network like facebook and twitter which is very useful in marketing your site and convenient for the user to sign in with facebook account. I dont find anything bothersome at here, as the site content is simple and straight forward. 
   

   What do you think of the sign up process?

   I used my facebook account to sign up, it very simple and easy. I also tried the sign up process in your site, it is also simple and easy as it only require email, name and password. When i sign in into the page, it tells me that i haven’t create any messages yet and it provide the user guide which is the how it works hyperlink. It’s very user friendly and convenient. 
   

   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?

   For now no, as i dont need it. If i wanted to write something for someone i might come back sign up for a free account. But i might intro this site to my friends that might help them with your site service.
   

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.

   I think i have mentioned most of it above. I suggest that you can create a free sign up button on the homepage for the purpose of marketing your site. When people saw the free sign up button, they will likely to sign up as it is free. Also you can state down what is the benefits of your site and the purpose of your site on the homepage. It make the visitor clear about what they can get and expect from your site. List down the benefits or functions of your service. Also if a person is dying, it might be hard to contact them, you can provide additional feature such as posting in facebook for whoever saw or know this particular person, please contact you or the writer that write for the particular person or Email them. It may be more effective in this way. Add more ways in how you can contact or help the writers. It will make your members feel that this site really could helps them.

6. Using Safari and FireFox on Mac OS 10.6.8
   

   Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?

   The site seems to be a place to post a “final” or “dying” message either as a video or text statement to people. My first thought was that is would be easy access for people wanting to leave suicide notes.

   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.

   The site is simple, clean, well proportioned. It is easy to grasp from the home page what the site is about. The images transition nicely, though there is a bit of a disturbing element to them–while disaster conveys the fact that death can happen suddenly, they do not invoke the sense that this is a place to leave a sentimental message to those who will miss you.

   Having a sign in box on the home page, as well as a sign in tab link feels a bit redundant.

   The tabs links all work, allowing quick navigation around the site.  
   The How It Works cartoon is a bit of a throw off. It suddenly made the whole site seem childish and robbed it of any seriousness concerning the matter of life and death. At the same time, it did explain the general purpose of the site. 
   The FAQ is fairly complete, easy to read through and understand.
   Sign up was easy, as was logging in and out. 

   The process of creating a message was straight forward and easy. I did a video recording to myself just for kicks, and look forward to receiving it in the near future. The editing and removal of messages was easy. Also, the “Running” button letting you know if the message is active or not is a nice feature, though changing it to “Account is Active” may be clearer/more understandable.

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?

   Like: In general, the site is well laid out, clean and clear, easy to navigate and understand.

   Your system to make sure death is properly confirmed. Having two other persons required to confirm death is ideal. I am interested in seeing how it works (using two other email accounts I have) when I ignore my confirmation of still being alive.

   Bothersome: The cartoon “How it works” is a bit bothersome. It seems to over-simplify death and dying, and seems childish. The scrolling images.

   The fact that the site’s title makes it feel like the site is meant for people on their deathbeds gives the wrong impression of the intention behind the site. Letting people know more clearly that this is for health people who really don’t plan on dying any time soon to maybe leave something there in case events overtake one’s life. 

   The suicide note possibility. See additional comments.

   What do you think of the sign up process?

   Sign up was easy. I did the email sign up, not the facebook. A notification email was sent right away. Information on how to set up a message was readily available.

   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?

   Not particularly. Some of the reasons will be covered in the additional feedback, but in general, the reason I would not use this is because I aim to let people know what I think and how I feel about them while I am alive.

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.

   While the concept seems nice, there are a few elements to it that really need to be addressed. 

   Will your service still exist should my life be longer instead of shorter? Given that we don’t know when we will die, it may well be that you may no longer exist well before we pass on.
   Abuse of the system. I can set up a message to a bunch of people who I am in contact with often but rarely see. What is to stop me from sending a message saying I am dead, when I am not, and then completely cutting contact with them (though it may be a good way for some people to get out of repaying certain obligations).

   Email filtering: While a message may be sent, under what address will it be sent? Most people filter either by addresses in their inbox or key words. It is fairly likely that a message will be sent to someone’s trash box and deleted. To prevent this, you would either have to ‘mirror’ my email address (meaning, make it look like the email was sent by me) or, I would have to let people know that they may receive an email from your service that would be very important (and basically tell them that they will hear from me after I am dead, which ruins the surprise). 

   Biggest Issue: Suicide site.  While suicide is a very real thing (sadly), this site seems to offer an accommodating place to leave a final message for one wanting to end ones own life. Psychologically speaking, the ability to finalize a suicide note makes it easier for some to carry on the action (ie: “It’s done, my reasons are explained, I can finally get on with it”). I do not think your site would be monitored deeply enough to flag these, as your site will demand a large amount of privacy to its users.

7. What do you think the site is about?
   From the intro paragraph on the home page, I understand that the site enables users to leave a parting message for their family and friends in case of an unexpected death. However, it’s not clear to me from the home page how the process works exactly or why I would want to use your service instead of, say, writing a letter or recording a video to be kept with my will.
    
   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
   Home page: Very simple presentation. Wouldn’t mind if the slideshow was a little smaller so that you could fit a bit more copy explaining exactly how this works. I’m thinking of a few brief statements like, “Leave a personalized voice or video message for your loved ones. Securely store your address book, and we’ll make sure they have your last words when the time is right.” Re. the slideshow itself, this is pretty heavy stuff, depicting all these possible ways to meet an untimely end. I wonder if it would be better to display a sample “parting words” video or something instead. Or maybe you could just exchange the impending death images for images of a graveyard, a funeral procession, and so on. (By the way, the home page takes a little while to load.)
    
   How it works: Also takes a little while to load. Hmmm…These cartoon illustrations are so lighthearted. It almost seems inappropriate given the subject matter and certainly at odds with the very sobering slideshow on the home page. This page explains the process in more detail so that I now have a better understanding of how your service works. One problem, though: I wonder if people are going to be resistant to storing their friends’ contact info at your site, especially without reassurances of security.
    
   FAQ: This is page is so short that I see no reason why it couldn’t be combined with the “How it works” page. Again, these details are helpful in further explaining how your service works. I’m left wondering how much this costs, though. And, again, I have some concerns about privacy since you want me to share third party personal contact info with you.

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?

   Bothersome: The strange contrast between the dismal home page slideshow and the wacky cartoon strip on the “How it works” page. The lack of assurance that all this contact info will be secure. The unavailability of pricing info if this is just going to be a free trial.

   Like: The concept. The simplicity of the site. Most information is very easy to find.
    
   What do you think of the sign up process?
   I don’t really like how the sign-in box sits right on top of the home page slideshow. Anyway, I went to the “Sign Up” page, and the registration process was quick and easy. It’s nice that you allow people to sign in through Facebook too.

   I was amazed at how immediately I could jump right into my first message after registration! That was nice in one respect, but I might prefer to be taken to a dashboard, where I could see tabs for my account information and a list of messages currently stored. Right now, I’m left wondering what will happen to this message after I save it. Will I be able to access it and edit it after I’m done, or does it just get stored on your server somewhere so that I’ll never see it again?

   I really liked that I had the option of leaving messages in various media, including video, and that I could specify how long after my death to send the message. Too bad I can’t have messages sent more than one year after my death. Some people, you know, might like to leave a series of annual messages for a special person like a son or daughter.
    
   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
   Well, I did sign up for the purpose of reviewing your site. If I wasn’t reviewing it, I don’t know that I’d sign up just because I’m not that comfortable with storing personal contact info for my friends and family at a site I don’t know much about. I certainly would not sign up for a paid account because I can write or record my own messages for free and leave them in a safe place where the executor of my estate can find and distribute them.
    
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
   I think this is an interesting concept, but you have to be careful how you handle it. The images on your home page are almost too sobering, while the cartoons on “How it works” are almost too lighthearted. I think you need to find a better balance there. Also, I think you need to provide some reassurance that all this personal contact information is going to be kept safe.
    
   You might consider allowing users to specify dates they would like to send messages rather than restricting them to specific intervals. I’ve heard of people leaving messages specifically for a child’s 18th birthday and so on.
    
   Lastly, if you’re going to start charging for this, I think you need to convince us why your service would be better than simply writing a letter or recording a video at home for free. Maybe emphasize how things left lying around at home can get lost or how loved ones can’t necessarily be relied on to distribute messages when they’re grieving. Something like that. As the site matures, it would be wonderful to see testimonials from users who feel comforted knowing that their final thoughts will be heard one day as well as from loved ones who were reassured and uplifted when they read the parting words of someone who used your service.
    

8. Feedback sought:

   Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?

   *From the main page, the purpose is clear.

   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.

   https://dyingmessage.com/account/settings
   *Timezonet field – Many people don’t know this type of time format in the United States.  It would be beneficial to have a way to determine what time zone the user is in; maybe by location?
   https://dyingmessage.com/terms
   *Error Report:  Overall page – I realize that this page contains the legal terms, but the ALL CAPS is very hard to read.
   Other Users Intellectual Property Rights
   Other users of the Website have provided other content subject to the Terms and other notices and policies set forth on the Website. You may access other users’ content solely: for your information and personal use; as intended through the normal functionality of the Website; and for Streaming.
   *Question:  Anyone can view another’s deeply personal messages/attachments/videos???
    
   Proof, Retention and Storage
   The computer registers stored on our systems in accordance with standard safety practices shall be considered proof of e-mails exchanged, registration forms sent, videos record, files upload.
   *Error Report:  Make highlighted words past tense…recorded…uploaded…
    
   Disclamer
   *Error Report:  Spelling error – should be disclaimer (with an “i”)
   ANY MATERIAL DOWNLOADED OR OTHERWISE OBTAINED THROUGH THE USE OF THE SERVICES, INCLUDING EMAILS, SUBMISSIONS, CONTENT OR OTHER MATERIALS OR COMMUNICATIONS SENT VIA THE SERVICES, IS DONE AT YOUR SOLE RISK AND YOU WILL BE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOUR COMPUTER SYSTEM OR LOSS OF DATA THAT RESULTS FROM THE DOWNLOAD OR USE OF ANY SUCH MATERIAL.??FURTHER, PLEASE NOTE THAT NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION OBTAINED BY YOU FROM DyingMessage.com PERSONNEL OR THROUGH THE SERVICES SHALL CREATE ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY OR GUARANTY NOT EXPRESSLY PROVIDED FOR IN THESE TERMS OF SERVICE.
   *Error Report:  Delete the question marks
   https://dyingmessage.com/privacy
    
   User communication – When you send email or other communication to DyingMessage.com, we may retain those communication in order to process your inquiries, respond to your requests and improve our services.
   *Error Report – Communication should be plural (with an “s”)…communications

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?

   Likes:
   https://dyingmessage.com/account/settings
   Phone number not required.  Some people do not want to provide their phone number or pay for the text messages.
   Dislikes:
   https://dyingmessage.com/account/settings
   No way to cancel the signup account from the Setup tab or anywhere else.

   What do you think of the sign up process?

   *There is no way to unsubscribe.
   *I saw a screen during testing to allow the user to pay for upgraded functionality, but after moving off the page to continue current testing, I did not see it again.
   *There is not a way to retrieve your user id or password (or both).  I suppose you could use the Contact Us link, but it would be good to have your system automatically send the information or allow the user to reset.

   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?

   *What type of sign up did I do by testing?  Was this free?
   *I would not sign up if others can view my information, messages, documents, and videos.

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.

   *Overall it is a good concept.  I don’t get a warm and fuzzy feeling about the site (there doesn’t seem to be a lot of compassion in your message to users.  Yes, the site is described well enough regarding its purpose, but you could add some additional “soothing colors” or more “soft focused” graphics throughout the site.  The cartoon with the Angel of Death is cold.  I envision that people who would want to use your site to be emotional when writing heart-felt messages (videos, etc.) more than writing something humorous as a last word.
   You could add links for suggestions for writing “Living Instructions/Advice” for those we leave behind.

9. Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?

   The site appears to allow users to write message to be distributed to their friends and loved ones in case of the user’s death.

   Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.

   I have to start by saying this is a very macabre concept for a Web site. I don’t know whether to laugh or be slightly horrified, although I’m actually feeling a mix of both as I look at it. I would hope the best possible result for a site like this would be for users to to be motivated to tell the people who mean the most to them that they love and care about them while they’re actually alive. I think it’s bizarre that the site seems to promote a philosophy that suggests people won’t let their loved ones know they care until it’s “too late”.

   Philosophical matters aside, I actually like the layout and design of the site. It’s very clean, well-designed and looks simple yet professional. I like the logo, although I’m not sure what to make of the pencil/candle object. I understand its symbolism, although I’m not sure if it totally works.

   I’m perplexed by the slight conflict of tone in the content of the site. The home page relies on images related to car accidents, war, etc. that capitalize on the death theme in a somewhat “dignified” and respectable tone, while the “How it works” page completely disregards that tone with its series of tongue-in-cheek comic-strip images. I think the site should stick with either the “serious” angle or the “humorous” angle, but I don’t think it works well to use both of them together. Either way, I’d still have a hard time taking this site seriously.

   What do you find bothersome? What do you like?

   On the home page, I like the changing slideshow of large, professional-quality images, even if they do exploit fear. The login box that hovers above the slideshow on the home page is too transparent, and very difficult to see against certain images in the slideshow. I think that box would be better with either a solid black background or removed from the page entirely.

   Also, some of the text beneath the images on the slideshow is incorrectly worded, and it appears to be written by someone who doesn’t speak English as their primary language. The following statement: “5.5 millions of car accidents, 31,000 were fatal, 2 million people were injured in 2011 year” doesn’t really make a lot of sense, and would be better worded as  something like this: “In 2011 there were 5.5 million car accidents: 31,000 were fatal, and 2 million people were injured.”

   The following statement similarly doesn’t make much sense: “Total 2,436,652 deaths in 2009 year”. It would be better stated as something like: “There were 2,436,652 total deaths in 2009.” Also, I’m assuming these statistics refers to the US, correct? That isn’t made clear.

   Also in the slideshow, the statements “Extreme Sports” and “Natural Disasters” don’t make much sense by themselves. Can you provide statistics for deaths caused by extreme sports and natural disasters? This may all sound too nit-picky, but I think it’s important if the site is expected to be used and taken seriously.

   I’ve mentioned the “How it works” page already, but I should add that I find the bullet list detailing how the site works to be helpful, although the text is small and is easy to overlook beneath the large images above it.

   I appreciate the clear links to the “Terms of Service” and “Privacy Policy” pages. I find the “Bug Report” link to be a little odd. That suggests to me that the site expects to have issues. That doesn’t seem too encouraging.

   What do you think of the sign up process?

   I have to first make a suggestion about the “Log In” and “Sign Up” tabs on the top of each page. The tabs are helpful, although I think it makes more sense to place those two tabs at the end of the row, after “How It Works” and “FAQ”. I’m used to seeing log-in/sign-up areas toward the right of a page instead of the left.

   The sign-up process itself is straightforward and simple, and I like that I receive a confirmation email that is appropriately simple and matches the site well.

   The account pages that are accessible after I sign up are well designed and easy to use. I have no complaints there.

   Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?

   I probably would sign up if I had a few seconds to waste, just for the hell of it. My main problem is that, after signing up, it would be very difficult for me to think of something I would want to tell people after my death — that’s just not the kind of thing I want to sit around and think about. And considering my memory for incidental sites I visit is very short, I’d probably forget about it and never bother going back.  

   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.

   In my mind the major hurdle of this site is its bizarre and rather morbid concept. If you can somehow convince users to get past the initial “WTF?” aspect, it might work.

   One common problem I see happening is that people’s phone numbers and email addresses can change often, and I just don’t foresee many users thinking to change the contact information, so there might be a lot of cases where people are unreachable.

   Also, how does this site make money? There are no ads displayed, and there appears to be no fee associated with the service. Are there plans to charge for this service at some point in the future? I can’t believe this site offers a free service out of the goodness of someone’s heart. Or this some bizarre social experiment? An explanation on the FAQ page of who is behind this site and what the site’s true intentions are would be helpful.

   One more minor detail to point out on the FAQ page. “Your” should be spelled “you’re” in the following statement: “After you have received our request, you will have exactly one month to let us know if your still living.”

   Best of luck on the site!

10. Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?

    This site is about being able to leave a message for the people in your life to read and remember you by after you die.

    Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
    What do you find bothersome? What do you like?

    1) The opening page message font is too small and not eye catching.  It’s a strain to read.  Those with poor eyesight (particularly someone older or with eye problems) would have a difficult time reading it. Choose both a larger font size and a slightly easier to read font.
    2) The scrolling images should be more “restful”. Some are rather disturbing–the natural disasters and the operating room images, for example.  If I were leaving a message for my loved ones, and I did end up dying in a tornado, I wouldn’t want them to have to see the damage of a tornado when they come to the site to see/hear my message.
    3) The image scrolling got stuck on the “natural disasters” photo.  But that could just be a browser issue.
    4)  I didn’t particularly like the big black “LOG IN” box covering the photo, either.  It seemed too in-your-face. The Sign up tab is sufficient, OR, place it somewhere else on the page.
    5) The cartoon images on the “How it works” page seem in direct opposition to the seriousness presented on the homepage.  It was too cheesy, too irreverent.  I like that it tells what your service provides, but the cartoon was just too much.
    6)  While I understand the concept of making sure that a person is dead before sending the message on, I’m not sure how I would feel being called up out the blue to be asked if someone I know is dead.  Even if I know that I’m on the list call list.  It could be awkward if I was called and my friend had just changed phone providers/number, email address, etc. and didn’t receive your message only to be called and told that someone is checking to see if Mr. XYZ is alive or dead.   Verification of death, though, is good thing, and your system sounds like it could work well. Could death possibly be verified first through other on-line media means (digitized death certificates, newspaper articles, etc.)?  Are the people who are to be contacted about the death confirmation informed that they have been chosen as confirmee’s?
    7) The tabs for the different pages were nice and legible, and lead to the important pages on the site.
    8 ) The FAQ was well laid out. It looks like it would be easy to add other FAQ’s as needed.
    9) Your logo looks well thought out.  I especially like the little flame on top of the pen.

    What do you think of the sign up process?

    1)  Seemed nice and easy and pretty straight forward.  I liked the choice of how long after death to send the message.  Depending on what message I have to send to which person, it seems like a nice way to do choose the timing of delivery.  I can see the possibility of sending a message to, say, my husband/children/parents a message every month or so after my death.   The buttons for adding attachments or movies was nice and simple, so that you could even just sit at your computer doing your video right then.  I would even recommend being able to send a message every year, especially if someone has young children.  Perhaps even offer the ability to choose the send date (provided the person sending the message hasn’t died yet).
    2) I would like to see some way to revise a typed message for later.  Say I write something and a couple months or years later, circumstances have changed.  It would be nice to just change portions of a written message rather than deleting the message and starting all over.

    Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?

    I don’t think that at this point I would leave any messages.  Mostly because a) I don’t use a mobile phone all that often, and 2) I would prefer to leave a handwritten message for my loved ones.  Maybe that’s just because I’m a sentimental type person who appreciates having papers that my grandparents, etc. have left behind with their own handwriting on it.  🙂

    Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.

    I think that in general, in this computer era, this is an excellent idea, and time will tell how well it works. The basic layout is clear and consistent (other than the cartoon-y part, which I would change right away), and easy to follow.  Your terms of service and privacy policy are laid out cleanly and easy to view.  Again, for this smaller size font, I would probably choose a different font, but that’s a personal choice.  I’m not clear on the “bugs report” link.  Perhaps instead of having an e-mail pop up, have it bring up a page in which the user fills in the blanks about what’s wrong, etc.  The “Contact us” page would be nice to be brought to a page that tells a bit about the people behind “DyingMessage” and e-mail links from there. I think it would bring more confidence to the people signing up, especially if at some point you ask for a yearly fee, or a one-time fee good through the last message being sent. Add testimonials as people use your service to inspire confidence in your service, as well.

11. Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
    The site allows the user to enter a message or create a video that can be viewed by his/her relatives, family and friends after he/she is deceased.
    
    Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
    What do you find bothersome? What do you like?
    The idea of leaving a message behind for your family is pretty good, u can confess and apologize without any hesitation. The web page is simple and neat, the icon used to symbolize is nice. but it would definitely have been better if the log in section of the page was elsewhere not covering the image.
    
    Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
    
    No i wouldn’t sign up for free mostly because it is always better to convey the message directly. But no harm done by leaving a message behind for your family right because as mentioned in the site we may not know when accidents might occur.
    
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
    I really appreciate this site for doing something good for the society in one or another way, we may not know somewhere in the world people might be really happy because they might have received their loved ones dying message.
    

12. Visit https://dyingmessage.com. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?

    I think this site is about leaving a message for your loved ones, so if you die everything you wanted to say will be conveyed to them.      

    Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
    What do you find bothersome? What do you like

    I like the site, it is very simple and easy to navigate. This site is straightfoward and easy to understand, which is a plus for the elderly or anyone that needs things to be simple. In addition, the cartoon on the how it works page also adds to the simplicity of it. I like the way the system is set up to send the message to your loved ones and to confirm if you are alive or deceased.          

    What do you think of the sign up process?

    The sign up is very simple and easy to navigate.   

    Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
    
    I would sign up for a free trial/free acount because it think the whole concept is a responsible thing to do for all of your family and friends.    

    Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.

    I think the owners of this site came up with a great idea and the cost is minimal. Also it is a very user friendly process!       

13. Spend no more than 5-10 seconds on the home page. What do you think the site is about?
    After spending some time on the home page I would say that the site is about leaving a message for loved ones in case of your unexpected death.
    
    Now go back to the site and comment on various elements of the site.
    I like that images are scrolling on the home page, but not that the login covers it. The pages are clean and easy to navigate. There are several places where words are spelled wrong or phrases are written a bit backwards. For example: In the scrolling image descriptions, it says things like “2011 year” instead of “in the year 2011.” The main title line should read, “What would you do if you knew you only had A few minutes to live?” On the “How it works” page it says, “your dead” instead of “you’re dead.”
    What do you find bothersome?
    
    I found the images on the homepage bothersome, however, they do get the point across that death can happen unexpectedly and at any time. I also find the cartoons on the “How it works” page quite bothersome. I think you need to decide whether you want the overall feel of the site to be lighthearted or serious. The cartoons on this page confuse the reader–they may think the whole thing is a joke.
    
    What do you like?
    I liked that the entire process seemed simple and many things were answered on the FAQ page.
    What do you think of the sign up process?
    The sign up process was simple, easy and straightforward.
    Would you sign up for a free trial/free account? If not, why?
    No, I would prefer to leave something personal for my loved ones.
    Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have.
    I  think you should focus more on the benefits of your site rather than the features. For example, you focus on the fact that death can happen unexpectedly and your site allows people to leave messages for loved ones. What are the real benefits? You might want to focus on the security of knowing that your words and image are preserved for your loved ones. You might want to explain why they should use this service as opposed to leaving a letter or video with a will executor. A great benefit to discuss when it comes to death is peace of mind for friends and loved ones.
    

14. nicbanarsee has been awarded.

15. tthau2010 has been awarded.

16. Lostness has been awarded.

17. greatfeedback4u has been awarded.

18. lnoe has been awarded.

19. matthewdort has been awarded.

20. Landelo2011 has been awarded.

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