What would you put in a digital time capsule that opens years in the future?

[Marvic]

---

I wanted to share a project I've been working on <details deleted>. It's basically a platform that lets you create digital time capsules that open in the future.

What can you do with it?

• Create capsules with your thoughts, memories, predictions, puzzles, secrets, or whatever you want
• Set a specific future date when they'll be revealed
• Customize how your capsule looks and what's inside
• When the time arrives, capsules are publicly released for everyone to see
• Share your capsules so others can see and interact with them when they open
• Comment on and analyze other people's capsules once revealed

I built this because I've always been fascinated by the concept of sending messages to the future. What predictions would you make today that you'd want to revisit in 5 years? What would you want to tell your future self? What cultural or tech predictions do you think would be interesting to preserve?

The platform is currently in beta release and I'd really appreciate your feedback to help improve it! What features would make this more valuable? What would you want to change or add?

Would love to hear what you all think or if you have feature suggestions! What kinds of things would you want to preserve in a digital time capsule?

 

[NickGrogan]

Every UK Politician, dont worry about opening it in the future, just leave them there.

On a more serious note I've got emails and files that are a lot more than 5 years old, whats the difference?

 

[Marvic]

Every UK Politician, dont worry about opening it in the future, just leave them there.

On a more serious note I've got emails and files that are a lot more than 5 years old, whats the difference?

Hahah, sharelock is that the capsules are meant to be automatically revealed to public on a specific future date. I doubt you'd want your important emails and files sealed up there unless they're not too important or you just want to publish them on purpose.

 

[NickGrogan]

Why would "the public" care what some random paid to stick in a file?

Its like reposting 5 year old tweets?

 

[Marvic]

No that's not the main concept, the platform is for fun, where people can make predictions, goals, memories, puzzles etcc, secrets, stories.. they are revealed at a specific date with hints and description to attract attentions to the public and everyone can interact with it just like a thread. It's all about human curiosity - I know you may not care but others might.

 

[fisicx]

I can do this without your platform. I just build a domain and not make it public until a certain date. One line of php would do the trick.

 

[Marvic]

I can do this without your platform. I just build a domain and not make it public until a certain date. One line of php would do the trick.

Would be cool, but i don't really have any php knowledge and i'd like post on your platform will i be able with a line of code?

 

[fisicx]

No. What I mean was you could put together a website with all you secret stuff and hide the site. One line of php would make the site live on your chosen date.

Or you could set up a cron task to do the same.

The whole point is you aren’t offering anything that can’t already be done.

 

[NickGrogan]

OK, so I have a thought or idea or prediction.
I will come to your site, create an account, give you some money, and then type my thoughts somewhere.
Then time goes by
and then you publish my thought, idea, or prediction on your site.
then what?
How can people comment on it before its published?
and after its published its just a post like on here.

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

A picture of a sheep
What were you doing on this day

 

[Mark T Jones]

I don't wholly agree with the scepticism above. It doesn't really matter if the concept already exists or they can do it themselves (people could take a picture of their breakfast and email it to friends, but they'd rather put it on twitter)

As a business though, this is ALL about marketing - why should I be excited about putting something in this capsule to be revealed in the future? WIIFM?

Then of course, if it takes off and others copy, why will yours be the winner?

 

[fisicx]

I’ve just googled for ‘digital time capsule’. There are loads of them. Not sure how popular they are but as you say @Mark T Jones this is all about marketing. If you can get enough traction this could work but it’s easily duplicated and you could be swamped by someone with a bigger budget.

 

[Newchodge]

Donald Trump, as long as the capsule is hermetically sealed.

 

[japancool]

Donald Trump, as long as the capsule is hermetically sealed.

I had exactly the same thought, but I wouldn't want to inflict him on the people of the future.

 

[antropy]

I don't wholly agree with the scepticism above.

I do

As a business though, this is ALL about marketing

But this is also true. The right marketing can sell most things.

Paul.