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A Ramble through Smilie Land

Responsibility

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by
Nightshade
, 04-19-2007 at 12:41 PM (1629 Views)
What does it mean?
And how much can we all each of us be truly held accountable for?

I was watching the news today and well I got to thinking.....how much responsibility do people online have to the RL.
For example say someone posted they were going tokill themselves, aside from the argument on wheather or not anyoe has the right to interfeer with a persons desire to terminate themselves , do online poeple have a responsibility to somehow try and stop that person. same with if someone says they will commit a crime. How much can we here ( whats the opposite of RL anyway) do??

Ive had an idea for a story thats been going around my head for awhile I dont know if Ill ever write it down but the fact that this one unlike any other is actually abut somthing I know tends to bode well for it eventually evolving. Its a story about a forum ( well what do I know better??) and anyway the idea of responsibility cropped up there too and like I said I was wondering how much RL really comes into the online us and how much we should really link being online to what happens 'out there'.

I think this has got to be a bit of an incoherent ramble hasnt it??


*sigh*
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Comments

  1. kathycf's Avatar
    Not very incoherent, no. I think it is an interesting issue. I suppose it would depend on how much credibility an online person has for me, in whether or not I take their claim seriously. The sad fact is, that there are many people (or trolls, however you wish to define them) who would post that they were going to kill themselves just to get a reaction out of people...same thing for commiting a crime. It is a tough call, because I would never want to ignore or dismiss a genuine plea for help, but I am also somewhat cynical. I think when you know a person in "RL" it is a little easier to address the issue.
  2. mtpspur's Avatar
    Where at work at AAA the word emergency gets used a little too freely and occasionally I 'call the bluff' and ask said member if they want 911 called/police/doctors etc. This usaully brings them back to reality as 911 costs an arm and leg if the 'emergency' doesn't measure up. I think this policy puts the responsibility for actions taken/not taken where it belongs--on the person doing the provoking. Also elimiates he trollers when they see you will the game to the limit. Hope this helps.