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Yahoo Deletes Journalist's Pre-Paid Legacy Site After Suicide

Posted by Soulskill on from the failing-at-a-last-request dept.

New submitter digitalFlack writes "Apparently Martin Manley has been a popular blogger and newspaper journalist for many years. For his own reasons, no indication of illness, he decided sixty years on this planet was enough. He designed a 40-page website with sections such as: 'Why Suicide?' and 'Why Age 60?.' Martin planned his suicide meticulously, but to manage his legacy, he picked Yahoo. He even pre-paid for five years. After he left this mortal coil on his 60th birthday, Yahoo decided they don't want his traffic, so they took the site down. Sorry, Martin."

15 of 403 comments (clear)

  1. They didn't know he also... by sinij · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Yahoo didn't know he also prepaid lawyers. Or at least lets hope so.

    Yahoo has contractual obligation to provide service, sudden death of a party is a sleazy way to weasel out of a service contract.

    1. Re: They didn't know he also... by alen · · Score: 5, Funny

      Pretty sure suicide is against the tos

    2. Re:They didn't know he also... by alexgieg · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Remember: it's Ya-"let's delete early Internet history because keeping 1TB around is too expensive"-hoo we're talking about.

      Never trust Yahoo. Ever.

      --
      Conservatism: (n.) love of the existing evils. Liberalism: (n.) desire to substitute new evils for the existing ones.
    3. Re: They didn't know he also... by JWSmythe · · Score: 5, Insightful

      From what I read of it, he was talking about his personal feelings and opinions.

      I could see if it were a site that he put video of his own suicide on, or other graphic depictions, there would be a reason to remove it. In this case, there was none. It was left as his legacy, or at least for the 5 years he paid for.

      There was no good justification in taking it down, except possibly that it took too much traffic. If it were a small hosting company, and had a negative impact on services to other customers, I could see it. Yahoo has enough resources to continue supporting that site for the full term as paid for.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    4. Re: They didn't know he also... by kasperd · · Score: 5, Insightful

      it was a site that, in part, explained why he committed suicide.

      I'm sure anybody who knew him would like to read it. That may very well include people who didn't know him all that well, so a website would be an obvious way to reach all potentially interested parties. A major part of the reason for creating the site may be to comfort those left behind. With that in mind I cannot see how anybody could think it was an acceptable move from Yahoo.

      --

      Do you care about the security of your wireless mouse?
    5. Re: They didn't know he also... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Some facts that people who fault Yahoo for taking the site down overlook:

      • The journalist disclaimed all rights to the site's content and released it into the public domain. Thus there is no content to inherit. His estate has exactly as much claim to the content as anybody else: None. Yahoo can not violate anybody's right to the content, as there is no such right.
      • The Yahoo terms of service clearly state that their hosting contracts are non-transferable and end upon death. With the contract ends Yahoo's obligation to keep publishing the content. His estate does not have grounds to sue for contract violation, as Yahoo is not in breach of the contract. The contract ended. His estate can enter into a new contract, but...
      • Condoning self-harm is against Yahoo's terms of service. The site contains information about suicide methods and makes an argument for killing oneself before old age sets in. Thus the site is clearly in violation of Yahoo's terms of service, and Yahoo would be within their contractual rights if they had chosen to remove the site even before he killed himself.

      Also, "-1, Troll" is not an acceptable expression of disagreement.

    6. Re: They didn't know he also... by blackest_k · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Actually you can read what he wrote, just on a mirror of his site. Inadvertently yahoo have invoked the Streisand effect.

      It is interesting what he has written and also what he hasn't. One thing was a failing memory that was one thing he didn't like the idea of having to be taken care of in future years another issue was the costs associated with getting old his medical insurance was due to expire sometime next year and he didn't see that as being affordable. Wanting to leave a legacy and not to be a burden on the state.
      There are other reasons that he wrote about which you can choose to read about if you wish.

      What he didn't write about was love, ok he was interested in the future of his step children but there was no love in his life, nobody who was special in his eyes nobody who he woke up with each morning no one who he treasured being in his life. That to me seems key. I'm not young and with my health i can't expect to live to any great age. Do i want to die earlier than i have too? the answer is without doubt no.

      4 years ago I had a heart attack and in the ambulance, although i didn't know it was a heart attack i knew it was serious and I also knew I felt i was too young for this! Three months later I had to return to the hospital, but this time i drove myself and with periods of crushing chest pains i got there and parked my car and walked the 400 or 500 yards to the A&E department - maybe the hardest walk of my life. To finally present myself at the desk and say i think i'm having a heart attack in actuality it was a 97% blocked coronary artery. Was a tough 24 hours but after a stent fitted i was ok again.

      Recovery in the months that followed was difficult, the 50% rate after a first heart attack is about 6 to 8 years and thats after 30% who died of that first heart attack. Becoming mortal, and realising there was a fair chance that I might not last that much longer was quite depressing, some outstanding long term goals have had to be put aside as I don't see them as viable any more.

      On the positive side since then I've met the most wonderful woman around my age (for a change) and loving her makes all the difference. We are living too far apart right now but that we can work on. She is in my thoughts everyday and well I hope we get to grow old together. You see being rich or poor is not that important but being with someone you love is. Without love your life can be without reason.

      Thing is you don't know when fate will bring you together but it can happen any day if you leave an opportunity for it too occur. Any way love is why I want to keep on living, trying to do the best I can for the people I care about and why I won't bow out by suicide. Family, friends, and an understanding lover what else matters.

           

      --
      Blarney Quality Restaurant, Plants
    7. Re: They didn't know he also... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      Linked from the first paragraph of the index page is the following text (copied from a mirror of the site): "I, Martin Manley, being the creator and owner of all information on the site "MartinManleyLifeAndDeath.com", neither hold nor retain any claim or copyright on any part of this web-site. I do not grant these rights to any individual person or entity either in life or upon death. Rather I release all rights to this work -ï making it public domain. Anyone can do with it whatever they wish. Martin Allen Manley August 15, 2013"

      From the general Yahoo terms of service: "You agree that your Yahoo! account is non-transferable and any rights to your Yahoo! ID or contents within your account terminate upon your death."

      From the Yahoo web hosting terms of service: "You agree that you will not: [...] promote physical harm or injury against any group or individual".

    8. Re: They didn't know he also... by MrKaos · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Why? Because it is controversial? Some one needs to talk about it. This is the core problem now. Everyone is afraid to offend someone.

      Political Correctness can be so fucking offensive.

      --
      My ism, it's full of beliefs.
  2. Fuck Yahoo! by ShaunC · · Score: 5, Informative

    In the meantime, there is a mirror located here.

    --
    Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
  3. Why isn't this tagged with the censorship logo? by excelsior_gr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not only was this website paid for, it was obviously part of the deceased's last wishes. If Yahoo has no respect for the law or its customers, it should at least show some respect to a dude's last wish.

  4. Re:Mirror? by dmbasso · · Score: 5, Informative

    http://www.zeroshare.info/

    --
    `echo $[0x853204FA81]|tr 0-9 ionbsdeaml`@gmail.com
  5. Re:good for him! by Gaygirlie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This little quote from the guy's site:

    The thought of being in a nursing home, physically or mentally disabled, was the single scariest thing I had ever thought about

    This is exactly what I've been thinking for years now; I've always thought that I will commit a suicide and end my life one day when I feel I'm getting too old, when I feel I'm losing control over my own thoughts and body. Honestly, the most horrible thing that I could imagine is being locked up in a bed 24/7 at the mercy of others without being able to do anything by myself -- I do not want to end there. I will commit a suicide if it looks like it's coming to that, I want to be in charge of my own life. As such I fully understand the guy's reasoning and I agree: good for him.

  6. Winning strategy by NoMoreMrNiceGuy2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    1. Get customers to sign up for 5 year plans of web hosting.
    2. Kill customer, make is look like a suicide.
    3.?
    4. Profit!

  7. Re:good for him! by vux984 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I intend to be living a fantastic life and raising hell for another decade or three yet. Deal with it.

    So... your magic number isn't 60, but possibly 85 or 90. Ok, that's fine. I am more than happy to let you define how long you think your quality of life is good. So what happens after that?

    I've one great-great-uncle who lived to be 106. (They found him one evening leaned up against a fencepost, where he'd evidently stopped to take a little break whilst making his daily walk around his farm. Nothing wrong with him, the doctor said, except that he finally just wore out.)

    Yeah, and I've got an 80+ year old great uncle in-law or something who's been bedridden for years now. Adult-onset type 2 diabetes. The diabetes so far has caused blindness, and has led to the amputation of both legs. It could happen to anyone, even you. 51 is a long way from 70.

    My own grandfather developed Alzheimer's, and although he remained perfectly healthy in body until the end, that was probably the most horrifying and heart wrenching thing to undergo. He was terrified at least for as long as knew what was happening, and it wasn't much better for those around him.

    We all wish to age gracefully, die in our sleep peacefully, and while I agree arbitrarily committing suicide on your 60th birthday is nuts... committing suicide when the circumstances of your final days are rapidly becoming apparent is pretty rational in my books.