The only certainties, so it’s said, are death and taxes. We know taxes are due in several weeks. It’s our uncertainty about when we’ll die that has inspired a new breed of web site designed to help us rest assured that every detail has been taken care of. You Departed bills itself as an online storage facility where you can place all the information your family and friends will need in the event of your death. Things such as how to access your email and online accounts; the combination to your locker at the gym; the exact translation of the poem you’d like recited at your funeral. Touting the security of their service — your information is encrypted using the same technology “the National Security Agency approves for sending TOP SECRET documents worldwide” — You Departed offers three pricing levels, payable annually. Though all of the sites let you store the information of your choosing, Letter From Beyond, My Last Email, and Post Expression focus less on utilitarian documents. They promote the value of creating final personal messages to be distributed per your instructions. My Last Email offers two services: Online Memorials (for you to create) and Online Obituaries (created by your survivors). A memorial might contain photographs and video, or heartfelt letters to those you haven’t spoken to in years. The material only becomes available after your death and only to those you have authorized. The appeal of an obituary is that it remains online for as long as your survivors like and allows those you knew to add their own tribute or message of sympathy. At Post Expression, you have the option to create unique groups of messages for recipients such as Classmates, Ex-Girlfriends, My Chidren, etc. You can also specify the exact number of days, months, or years after your death that you’d like the messages delivered. In this age of online friendships that circle the globe, it could be reassuring to know that your fellow polka enthusiast in Finland, who your kids don’t even know about, will be notified when you inexplicably stop replying to his Facebook posts.