I mean jeez guys, we really need to regulate this thing so people will stop killing themselves because of all the mean things we say

Parents need a stupid tag

I saw a bit about this on CNN. Very sad.
Also ... um ... not to kick a guy when he's down or anything but maybe unrestricted net access is a bad idea for your kids? Mine certainly doesn't have it. What he does have, I randomly monitor. Same with his cell phone activity and who he spends his time with. I never actually received a job description but I've always assumed acting this way was part of it.

Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

Dude, I read that thread, it's obvious this kid had more issues than National Geographic.

It takes an internet to raise an idiot.

vincentpriceisdead: Dude, I read that thread, it's obvious this kid had more issues than National Geographic.

I don't know if this kid had mental issues...

But this(if so) it wouldnt be the first time some kid with mental issues offs himself, and some silly law is passed on an emotional plea to some issue that ignores context and expert opinions.

umm, why is this asinine?

Seems obvious to me.
Without the internet, this kid probably still would have killed himself. Good for dad for realizing this and not flying off the handle.

oh never mind, i misread the headline. Father's an idiot. My bad.

Id like to add that having a kid kill himself would probably ruin someone for life, and I can see how having a cause would help assuage the intense feelings of guilt and depression that would follow that - it just has to be done towards the appropriate goal

Party Boy: someone

= parent

I told you I was hardcore.

Party Boy: mental issues...

n/m - I see thats described on page 2

Yeah - he's not wrong.

Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

DamnYankees: Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

From what i read, the kid was going to off himself anyway. A bunch of people going "OOGABOOGABOOGA" on the internet didn't MAKE him do it. So i find this complaint to be entirely without merit. This is no worse then people heading on down to Wall St last month and yelling "JUMP!" They didn't put the brokers on the 7th story windowsill, he did that himself, they're just there for the show.

I think he should sue the internet.

Somebody should sue the father claiming that the sight of seeing the suicide has scarred him for life. Claim that it was obviously the fathers fault for allowing his son access to the internet/webcam/drugs.

/off to see a shyster

BlackCat23: DamnYankees: Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

From what i read, the kid was going to off himself anyway. A bunch of people going "OOGABOOGABOOGA" on the internet didn't MAKE him do it. So i find this complaint to be entirely without merit. This is no worse then people heading on down to Wall St last month and yelling "JUMP!" They didn't put the brokers on the 7th story windowsill, he did that himself, they're just there for the show.

I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

DamnYankees: Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

Yeah, but it's simply not possible to do that. I mean yeah - you can pass some feel good legislation that kinda/sorta cover some of what you're talking about....but is it worth the VERY high probably that someone will warp the intent of such a law and use it to shut down unpopular speech?

DamnYankees: I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

Death sports have been popular throughout most of human history. welcome to the species.

Weaver95: DamnYankees: I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

Death sports have been popular throughout most of human history. welcome to the species.

That's a really bad excuse, and you know it. Death sports are illegal now. We evolve.

DamnYankees:
I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

Aren't they prosecuting that mom who masqueraded on myspace? What are they trying to get her on?

what was it Pete Townsend said after Columbine?

"If you kill someone because of what some farking idiot on an album tells you too then you were a farking idiot too and you were gonna do it anyway."

or something like that.

DamnYankees: Weaver95: DamnYankees: I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

Death sports have been popular throughout most of human history. welcome to the species.

That's a really bad excuse, and you know it. Death sports are illegal now. We evolve.

No, we like to THINK we evolve. If you ran a pay per view website where people could watch death matches, you'd make millions. Because people love to watch that sort of thing. it's human nature.

sloppy shoes: DamnYankees:
I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

Aren't they prosecuting that mom who masqueraded on myspace? What are they trying to get her on?

Well, in that case there's at the very least fraud.

Weaver95: No, we like to THINK we evolve. If you ran a pay per view website where people could watch death matches, you'd make millions. Because people love to watch that sort of thing. it's human nature.

And you'd be arrested. We don't really do that anymore. If you don't think humanity has come a long way in the last few thousand years, you're being deliberately cynical.

DamnYankees: Weaver95: No, we like to THINK we evolve. If you ran a pay per view website where people could watch death matches, you'd make millions. Because people love to watch that sort of thing. it's human nature.

And you'd be arrested. We don't really do that anymore. If you don't think humanity has come a long way in the last few thousand years, you're being deliberately cynical.

I think we've become better at lying to ourselves. I also think we've gotten MUCH better at mass murder as we've 'evolved'. we're also working towards becoming more intolerant and oppressive of one another's differences....but the jury is still out on that one.

But deep down, we're still cavemen. we just dress better these days.

Noah_Tall

/off to see a shyster



The wonderful shyster of Oz!


/Sorry, it just happened.

Weaver95: But deep down, we're still cavemen. we just dress better these days.

We also live longer, live better, and have much more enjoyment. There's really no comparison.

Weaver95: But deep down, we're still cavemen. we just dress better these days.

the people at GEICO would like a word with you.

DamnYankees: BlackCat23: DamnYankees: Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

From what i read, the kid was going to off himself anyway. A bunch of people going "OOGABOOGABOOGA" on the internet didn't MAKE him do it. So i find this complaint to be entirely without merit. This is no worse then people heading on down to Wall St last month and yelling "JUMP!" They didn't put the brokers on the 7th story windowsill, he did that himself, they're just there for the show.

I agree there's no bright line, but there's something really farked up in a ton of people pressuring a person to kill themselves.

as someone who's tride to talk down a fake suicide attempt online, i certainly don't see the issue here. this is the farking internet. we've had /b/ for ages, and in a post-lonelygirl age, what the fark do you expect from people? when ad agencies will turn anything into viral marketing, when drama majors are concocting entire fake life stories around themselves and putting it up on YouTube to make a name for themselves, how are we to know what's real and what's not. he made himself a public spectacle, and those that said "do it" thought they were either calling his bluff or removing one more idiot from the world. and if that sounds cruel and horrific, you've clearly not seen enough of the tubes.

DamnYankees: Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

What do you mean "regulate acts which cause people to kill themselves...". What difference does it make whether someone offs themselves live on the internet, or jumps off a building, or steps out in front of moving traffic.

It's been said for years, the people who are going to kill themselves, just shut up and do it. The ones who threaten to do it, repeatedly, albeit farked in the head, is just a cry for help, and rarely follow through. I sat in an AOL chat room many years ago, when some idiot came into the chat room talking about killing themselves, I quickly jumped in with the crowd urging the idiot to do so. Who knows if he/she actually did it or not.

*tried to talk down

stickmangrit: what the fark do you expect from people?

To not encourage suicide. I don't consider it too much to expect.

Tophersky: What do you mean "regulate acts which cause people to kill themselves...". What difference does it make whether someone offs themselves live on the internet, or jumps off a building, or steps out in front of moving traffic.

It doesn't. If a group of people all got together in a room with you and yelled at your to shoot yourself until you did, I would have a problem with that also.

Tophersky: DamnYankees: Tophersky: Regulate the internet because you didn't hug your son enough? fark you!

It's not an issue of regulating the internet. It's regulating acts which cause people to kill themselves, regardless of where they take place.

What do you mean "regulate acts which cause people to kill themselves...". What difference does it make whether someone offs themselves live on the internet, or jumps off a building, or steps out in front of moving traffic.

It's been said for years, the people who are going to kill themselves, just shut up and do it. The ones who threaten to do it, repeatedly, albeit farked in the head, is just a cry for help, and rarely follow through. I sat in an AOL chat room many years ago, when some idiot came into the chat room talking about killing themselves, I quickly jumped in with the crowd urging the idiot to do so. Who knows if he/she actually did it or not.

there is some truth to this. people who genuinely want to die don't tend to go online and ask the coliseum for a thumbs up or down. if the internet is involved at all, it'll just be where the suicide note gets posted right before they commit the act. and in all likelihood this kid thought someone would call 911 when he took the pills. oops.

Tophersky: I sat in an AOL chat room many years ago, when some idiot came into the chat room talking about killing themselves, I quickly jumped in with the crowd urging the idiot to do so. Who knows if he/she actually did it or not.

Oh, and you're a piece of garbage if you had any inkling the guy might do it.

FTFA: "He was a good kid. Good kid," Biggs Sr. said. "It's a shame I wasn't there to help him. It's a big loss to me. I wish I was there to help him - since nobody else would."

Listen, this man's very upset right now. I can't even imagine how I'd feel if my kid killed himself on a webcam, with people calling him a "troll" and "go for it" and stuff like that.

I don't blame the internet, but I think the guy's pretty articulate for what he's just been through.

DamnYankees: Weaver95: But deep down, we're still cavemen. we just dress better these days.

We also live longer, live better, and have much more enjoyment. There's really no comparison.

Yeah, apparently we like to watch people kill themselves via webcams.

At least it saves a trip to the arena.

Weaver95: Yeah, apparently we like to watch people kill themselves via webcams.

Most of us don't. And even if we do, we ought to listen to the better angels of our nature and fight the disgusting parts of our humanity.

DamnYankees: stickmangrit: what the fark do you expect from people?

To not encourage suicide. I don't consider it too much to expect.

Tophersky: What do you mean "regulate acts which cause people to kill themselves...". What difference does it make whether someone offs themselves live on the internet, or jumps off a building, or steps out in front of moving traffic.

It doesn't. If a group of people all got together in a room with you and yelled at your to shoot yourself until you did, I would have a problem with that also.

if a man stands in a room full of people with a gun to his head, that's real, it's tangible, it's in your face and you must deal with it. when it's some jackass on the internet, then who knows? the kid took pills, the easiest one to fake. how was anyone in that room to know what was real? it's the Kitty Genovese conundrum on a whole different scale. most of us have heard somebody cry wolf enough times that when someone's serious we shrug it off. after all, the people on the internet aren't real anyway. we'll never see them, never shake their hand. they're text and images on a screen, with whatever overlaying personality we give them. nobody who said "go for it" thought of him as a person. he was a faker or a fool, and they were anonymous, able to shout whatever they felt without filter.

stickmangrit:
as someone who's tride to talk down a fake suicide attempt online, i certainly don't see the issue here. this is the farking internet. we've had /b/ for ages, and in a post-lonelygirl age, what the fark do you expect from people? when ad agencies will turn anything into viral marketing, when drama majors are concocting entire fake life stories around themselves and putting it up on YouTube to make a name for themselves, how are we to know what's real and what's not. he made himself a public spectacle, and those that said "do it" thought they were either calling his bluff or removing one more idiot from the world. and if that sounds cruel and horrific, you've clearly not seen enough of the tubes.

Because you have legal responsibility to treat life and death situations as always real. The person will face their own consequences if it is fake.

Despite all the anti-religion/they are just afraid of death talk yesterday, death is still regarded by society as a serious issue for the living and the dead. Encouraging a boy to commit suicide can and does have very real consequences, regardless if you believe a company would have the balls to use that as a viral marketing campaign.

The point is that there are certain boundaries societies and individuals must hold firm. Death and suicide are such a boundary. I'm not saying you can't advocate the inherent right to death that I believe people have. I'm not saying you can't advocate physician assisted suicide. However, it is a personal choice- and if they can't make that choice without everyone telling them to stop then they aren't ready to make that choice. There is no excuse for encouraging someone in such a fragile emotional state.

DamnYankees: Weaver95: Yeah, apparently we like to watch people kill themselves via webcams.

Most of us don't. And even if we do, we ought to listen to the better angels of our nature and fight the disgusting parts of our humanity.

are you kidding me? Right now, there are people who really, honestly and completely believe that it is entirely possible to be pro-life AND pro-death penalty. And most of those very same people profess a believe in turning the other cheek, but think it's just spiffy to waterboard anyone even remotely suspected of being a terrorist. They make up about 23% of our voting population too.

And that's just the vocal ones. I'll bet there are even more who aren't vocal who silently agree with the 23%.

stickmangrit: it's the Kitty Genovese conundrum on a whole different scale. most of us have heard somebody cry wolf enough times that when someone's serious we shrug it off. after all, the people on the internet aren't real anyway. we'll never see them, never shake their hand. they're text and images on a screen, with whatever overlaying personality we give them. nobody who said "go for it" thought of him as a person. he was a faker or a fool, and they were anonymous, able to shout whatever they felt without filter.

It's not the same problem. There's a serious difference between not helping someone and actively encouraging death via peer pressure.

I'm not even saying we need to criminalize it. How about something as simple as if you know or have reason to think someone is committing suicide on your property (either on land or on server), you have an obligation to alert the authorities and not host the event?

stickmangrit:
if a man stands in a room full of people with a gun to his head, that's real, it's tangible, it's in your face and you must deal with it. when it's some jackass on the internet, then who knows? the kid took pills, the easiest one to fake. how was anyone in that room to know what was real? it's the Kitty Genovese conundrum on a whole different scale. most of us have heard somebody cry wolf enough times that when someone's serious we shrug it off. after all, the people on the internet aren't real anyway. we'll never see them, never shake their hand. they're text and images on a screen, with whatever overlaying personality we give them. nobody who said "go for it" thought of him as a person. he was a faker or a fool, and they were anonymous, able to shout whatever they felt without filter.

There are certain situations that you must always treat as real. Fires, suicides, etc...

The internet is no excuse to not take these seriously. There are consequences for fakers and trolls.

DamnYankees:
It's not the same problem. There's a serious difference between not helping someone and actively encouraging death via peer pressure.

I'm not even saying we need to criminalize it. How about something as simple as if you know or have reason to think someone is committing suicide on your property (either on land or on server), you have an obligation to alert the authorities and not host the event?

I'm pretty sure you can get sued for encouraging. I don't know if it's a "criminal" offense.

I just want to reiterate this.

This kid had, apparently, all intentions of killing himself. He didn't ask for approval to do it, he threw it up on webcam, left a few posts and a note, and then offed himself. He was considered a troll on the BB forums, and therefor, no one took any of what he had to say seriously. The people on the forum are not at fault for calling him on it, they're not at fault for "egging" on someone who had already made the decision to take their own life. And most importantly, they're not culpable for the poor life decisions that led up to this sad young man's death. If anyone is at fault for that, it's his own family, not the internet.

stickmangrit:
if a man stands in a room full of people with a gun to his head, that's real, it's tangible, it's in your face and you must deal with it. when it's some jackass on the internet, then who knows? the kid took pills, the easiest one to fake. how was anyone in that room to know what was real? it's the Kitty Genovese conundrum on a whole different scale. most of us have heard somebody cry wolf enough times that when someone's serious we shrug it off. after all, the people on the internet aren't real anyway. we'll never see them, never shake their hand. they're text and images on a screen, with whatever overlaying personality we give them. nobody who said "go for it" thought of him as a person. he was a faker or a fool, and they were anonymous, able to shout whatever they felt without filter.

I think the people on the internet are real people somewhere, and is it too much trouble to just be kind when something like this comes up? There's a million other instances where you can make fun of somebody and their ideas, but when somebody starts talking about killing himself, I give them the benefit of the doubt, and don't think they need to made fun of, even if they aren't actually going to do it.

Is that too hard to do? Just not tell someone to kill himself?

cryinoutloud: I think the people on the internet are real people somewhere, and is it too much trouble to just be kind when something like this comes up? There's a million other instances where you can make fun of somebody and their ideas, but when somebody starts talking about killing himself, I give them the benefit of the doubt, and don't think they need to made fun of, even if they aren't actually going to do it.

Is that too hard to do? Just not tell someone to kill himself?

All bets are off if they're a night elf player. I have *never* met a night elf player who was a decent human being. Every last one of them is an asshole.

In other news, the internet is commonly known for sometimes having complete assholes on it who will egg on people to do anything.

Also, I find it interesting that the image button on the format bar was disabled in this thread. Admins/mods predict this thread taking an ugly turn?

After reading the different points of view posted here, I'm gonna' have to side with cryinoutloud on this one.


I suppose I need to DIAF?