Moral obligations of online communities

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pc7

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Just wondering what peoples thoughts are on this. I am a member of another online forum/community or whatever you would like to call it.

Someone posted an extremely disturbing post about their life and I have to say it chilled my blood. Now it could have been a troll or someone looking for a rise.

I replied with a link to counseling services and advised user to seek help immediately as I would worry for her safety.

Do people think moderators (Clubman/Sue Ellen et al would be interested in your views on this one) of such forums have a moral obligation to maybe contact the user with advise or perhaps to contact the Guards if they felt this person is could be in real danger?

Thoughts?
 
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I think we all have a moral obligation to do something for each other, whether you know the person, are a passer-by, or online.

I think everyone is chilled by that famous case in New York in the 1960s, where something like 83 people heard a woman screaming as she was being murdered - but nobody called the cops.

The question is what - what can you do?
 
I don't think the Mods have any more or less of an obligation than any other poster.
To be honest other than replying to a post with something like "you need professional help" I'm not sure what can or should be done.
 
You dont really know online whether or not someone is being honest, or looking for a rise out of someone else etc... In saying that, you should take it seriously and the best you can do is as Purple suggested.

Gordanus - that case in NY was discussed here before, cant remember the name of the phenomna offhand but its a documented reaction to crime in cities.
 
The lady murdered in New York in 1964 was Kitty Genovese. The outcry was that 38 people witnessed the murder yet nobody got involved. The term used is "the bystander effect" or "Genovese Syndrome"
 
Thanks guys, well I did post with a link to counselling services and said user really needed to discuss this with someone, as did many other members of the site. I will see if user replies and even send them a pm, hopefully it wasn't someone looking for a rise as it has bothered me.
 
Well if this is the thread that I'm thinking of then I for one (and maybe also others?) did post suggesting that the poster contact their GP, medical professionals, A&E (if necessary) and/or Samaritans or the like. I agree with Purple above. It's up to them to take or leave such advice. I don't believe that anybody has an obligation to contact any authorities in such a situation. Certainly no legal obligation. I don't really understand what a "moral obligation" is and reckon that it's a totally subjective concept.
 
Hi Clubman no it wasn't to do with A&E, it seems the person is in a situation that I would fear could turn into something akin to Joe O'Reilly and what happened there. I didn't want to turn the news on one day and see the users post being read in evidence. Lots have replied advising user to get some help and talk to family and friends if possible. Hopefully they'll take it on board.
 
If you mean this thread then there is nothing there to suggest a potential "Joe O'Reilly" situation. And you will see that I and others suggested that the original poster might consider contacting a number of support services (including A&E on my suggestion) if they were in a crisis situation.
 

Have we established that the post in question was on AAM in the first place? I got the impression from reading the OP that this occured on some other forum
 
I think clubman may be suffering from centreoftheuniversitis in this case.

The original poster pretty clearly indicated that he was concerned about a post on another site. He certainly did not say the concern was about a post on this site, but clubman continues to reference posts on AAM.

z
 
Ive highlighted another in the OP. I didnt see this word either and assumed wrongly that the OP was referring to AAM.
 
Hi guys no its not a thread on AAM its on another online forum where I felt the poster could be at risk from a third party. I've put up links to counselling and seeking help from friends and family as have others on the site. So that's all I can do.
 
Surely the mods on that site would have a bit more information about the poster than the ordinary members (email address etc) which if it was felt the poster was in real danger they could and should pass on to the authorities?
 
Fred - this would most likely fall foul of data privacy laws since the mods would have access to the data for purposes other than alerting authorities to potential problems.

I'm not saying that the mods couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't act, but in doing so they would be exposing themselves to risk. However, I don't think that the mods have any more responsibility or duty to act than any other citizen reading the same post. Mods are normally responsible for moderating a forum, not for protecting people from issues.

The best course of action (as outlined above) is to contact the individual and suggest ways to address the issue. The contact could be via the original post, via PM, via email (where this information is available).

z
 
I see what you're saying Zag but surely it depends.

If someone posted, for example, that they were going to commit suicide, should the mods act?
 
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