Services like Facebook and Twitter have become one of the primary ways in which people not only communicate, but chronicle their lives — and when people die it brings a new level of complexity to the dynamic that we're just now starting to explore and process. One site that brings those issues to the forefront is The Tweet Hereafter. Described as an "experimental project," it's the brainchild of Jamie Forrest and Michael McWatters — and is essentially a collection of the last tweets ever posted by "notable, newsworthy, famous, or infamous people." There's around 50 tweets currently stored on the site, stretching back to 2009.

"Death is a touchy subject, and we certainly don't want to upset people," Forrest told Animal New York in a recent interview, explaining that he and McWatters had only recently decided to start talking publicly about the site. The response, he says, has mostly been measured. "Most of the feedback has been along the lines of, ‘Wow this is morbid and somewhat disturbing, but fascinating," Forrest said. There's something undeniably dark about the concept, but it also invokes a real sense of sadness; a reminder that no matter how frivolous, last words are a reminder of loss and unfulfilled potential — even at 140 characters.