Something to think about?

[Drake]

The 19-year-old community college student from Florida posted thousands of messages to the site's "misc" forum — most were about girls, parties or other teen issues, but some dealt with his mental illness and forum’s role in his life.

"BB.com has become like a family to me (I know its kinda sad) but I find myself posting my life troubles and doubts on here, because I really don't want to talk to most ppl about stuff going on with me," he wrote in one post from August last year.

On November 19, Abraham took a fatal overdose of drugs in front of a webcam, while members of the same "family" watched on — some failing to intervene, others actively encouraging the teen to kill himself.

The incident has sparked much discussion of the moral obligations of online communities, as well as debate about the role online anonymity plays in allowing people to act in a callous manner.

This was not the first time Abraham had threatened to commit suicide online — he had previously taken large amounts of drugs in front of his webcam.

According to a timeline posted by one user who tried to alert authorities about the suicide attempt, members of the forum did not take the messages seriously.

The user, who was located in India, found the teen's phone number and sent it to the forum, requesting someone call the police, but was met with disinterest and cynicism.

"People tell me he's a troll and nobody calls. [Another user] especially is quite a huge cynic and says that he wasn't going to die on that kind of drugs, she insists nothing is going to happen," the user wrote.

By the time police finally arrived, it was 12 hours after the fatal overdose and the teen's body "was cold to touch", according to an official report.

r.i.p.

 

[Sanal]

Thats really sad Poor dude. Rest in Peace

 

[recruit22]

I heard about that. It was a shame because it was a loss of life. It was a tragedy because of the poeple who were left behind. A suicide leaves nothing but the ones who thought of you in a vast empitiness. And this case is sorry reflection of how completely desensitized and apathetic we as a society have become.

 

[Lonesome Crow]

I pray for his family and freinds for the suffering they still have to
endure. All the guilt trips, mind storms, the what if they did this ?, what
if they should had done that ? The grieving....for they are not in peace.

 

[Bluey]

Yes I have read about this in another place. And can you believe it that even now in that other place where I read it ppl where calling him a fag. I did post a post to say what I thought as well. Not something that would ever be allowed to happen here I am glade to say.

R.I.P [img=100x100]http://www.victorianrose.org/images/red_rose2.jpg[/img]

 

[Antihero]

In a way I really do not blame a few people for thinking it was a hoax or he was trying to get attention, especially with the internet the way it is. However, those who egged him on deserve a special place and extended stay in Hell, provided there is one.

It is a shame this happened. I hope all affected by this loss can find peace.

 

[Naleena]

I wonder if the forum people got pissed at the caller who tried to get this guy help? After all, it could have been an attempt for attention. He talked about his troubles on the forum thinking he was safe to do so. He trusted the people there and then someone calls the cops? What a betrayal of trust. So not right to do. No doubt they knew him well enough to think it was a hoax. Hmmmmmmmmm.

I am sorry this life ended. It goes to show that you never know what someone is thinking- even if you think you know them. As far as people just sitting back and thinking it was a hoax, I remember a quote saying something like...inaction is a form of action. They allowed this to happen. I hope they can live with that.

There needs to be rules and regulations set up in forums for such things.

 

[Steel]

Its hard to know what REALLY happened, although it sounds to me as if the suicide was a cry for help that went tragically wrong. The board members probably wanted to believe it was a hoax, obviously not considering that by doing so they were gambling with someone's life.

 

[Naleena]

The board members probably wanted to believe it was a hoax, obviously not considering that by doing so they were gambling with someone's life.

Maybe I was a little hard on the board members. It would have been a tough decision to intervine with the risk of being wrong. I hope that those members will take away the lesson that we are our brothers keeper. You never know what is going on on the intenet. THAT seems to be something everyone can agree on. The next question is, do people on the internet have a responsibility to take people seriously when they make threats against thier lives?

After what happened above, I don't think anyone, anywhere and on any forum, who has knowledge about this incident can play the ignorance card. People don't want to believe such things, your right. There are many boys who cry wolf but, sometimes the wolf is real.

We need rules and regulations in forums concerning such things. Im glad we have at least a warning in place.

 

[Steel]

Maybe I was a little hard on the board members. It would have been a tough decision to intervine with the risk of being wrong. I hope that those members will take away the lesson that we are our brothers keeper. You never know what is going on on the intenet. THAT seems to be something everyone can agree on. The next question is, do people on the internet have a responsibility to take people seriously when they make threats against thier lives?

After what happened above, I don't think anyone, anywhere and on any forum, who has knowledge about this incident can play the ignorance card. People don't want to believe such things, your right. There are many boys who cry wolf but, sometimes the wolf is real.

We need rules and regulations in forums concerning such things. Im glad we have at least a warning in place.

I think you just have to consider the odds. Even if the chances of someone being genuine in their threats were as low as 1000-1 (and I'm not saying that they would be that low... it's just an example) you are still betting some mild inconvenience against someone's life.

I'm glad Drake posted this; it was the first I had heard of it, and I hope it has given everyone something to think about.

 

[EveWasFramed]

When someone makes threats against themselves or others, it's ALWAYS better to err on the side of caution, regardless of how you might be ostracized for doing the right thing. Just because people don't agree with you, or they get angry with you, doesn't make you any less right. The brave ones are the ones who step up to the plate. Period.

 

[Caesium]

/b/tards have been trying to get someone to an hero for a long time. They post gore on their forum the whole time and whenever someone posts a picture of themselves there, or does something which the /b/tards don't agree with, they get told to 'an hero' (/b/ slang for 'commit suicide'). /b/ is truly the cesspit of the internet, trafficked by the most vile, degenerate people on the internet.

 

[Chris 2]

It makes you think doesn't it?

 

[EveWasFramed]

/b/tards have been trying to get someone to an hero for a long time. They post gore on their forum the whole time and whenever someone posts a picture of themselves there, or does something which the /b/tards don't agree with, they get told to 'an hero' (/b/ slang for 'commit suicide'). /b/ is truly the cesspit of the internet, trafficked by the most vile, degenerate people on the internet.

Could you possibly translate what you wrote? (I'm serious, not being mean or teasing.)

 

[Caesium]

/b/tards have been trying to get someone to an hero for a long time. They post gore on their forum the whole time and whenever someone posts a picture of themselves there, or does something which the /b/tards don't agree with, they get told to 'an hero' (/b/ slang for 'commit suicide'). /b/ is truly the cesspit of the internet, trafficked by the most vile, degenerate people on the internet.

Could you possibly translate what you wrote? (I'm serious, not being mean or teasing.)

/b/tards пробовало получить кто-то к герою в течение длительного времени. Они вывешивают ластовицу на их форуме the whole time и когда кто-то вывешивает изображение себя там, или делают что-то которое /b/tards don' t соглашается с, они получают сказанными к ' hero' (сленг /b/ для ' поручите suicide'). /b/ поистине cesspit интернета, торгованный самыми подлый, самыми дегенеративными людьми на интернете.

A /b/tard is someone who peruses the /b/ (Random) board on the site 4chan.org (Don't go there, it's filth). It is believed that /b/tards went to the BodyBuilding forum in order to spur on this guy's suicide.

 

[Satyr]

I read about this.

The fact that people were so completely unhelpful and even encouraged him to go through with it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Doesn't exactly renew my faith in humanity. Time to flood the remaining land masses and hand the entire planet to the dolphins. They might do a better job than us.

 

[VanillaCreme]

Oh how sad. I wonder why nobody really cared.... They were all supposed to be "family". Doesn't make any sense. Tsk tsk.

 

[SadRabbit]

Sad really. Humanity is ugly.