Slashdot Mirror
Fake Suicide Attempt Tests Facebook Prevention Tool, Lands Man In Asylum
First time accepted submitter abhishekmdb writes Shane Tusch faked his suicide in an attempt to test the authenticity of Facebook suicide prevention tool and got detained for 72 hours. Facebook has rolled out a set of tools to keep a check on its users who are having suicidal tendencies and prevent these users from suicidal attempts. In case some user is having suicidal thoughts and mentions that in the Facebook posts and if a friend of that user reports it to Facebook then a third party will immediately review the post and Facebook would lock the suicidal user's account and the user will be made to read Facebook's suicide prevention materials.
This is a prime example of how NOT to start a career in software testing.
Take someone who is suicidal and crying out for help and to talk with their friends, and you block them from talking to anyone!
Why not just had them a gun?
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
And I thought there were only 43 reasons to cancel facebook. Now there are 44.
I'm a satanic clam.
He clearly stated that he intended to take his life. I'm glad he was detained. A first repsonder is not in a position to decide if someone who just threatened suicide is telling the truth or not when they deny it. What if the cops just took him at his word and left? They'd be held liable if he really did intend to knock himself off. If he really WAS just testing FB, the proper thing to do is to alert authorities in advance. Go to the cop shop and discuss the experiment with them BEFORE you go making people legitimately freak out. But I give FB credit for having real people actually review the post instead of relying on computer text-parsing algorithms.
is of course, that you do not own your existence. So if you "threaten" suicide, you may be forced to continue living.
I predict that there will be very little overall objection to this premise in the discussion that follows, as the present culture is rapidly converging toward the complete realization of the nightmare "the personal is the political" in which every aspect of everyone's life is going to be everyone else's business. With the individual a bit player.
Exist, dammit, or we'll put you in prison!
I didn't really believe that the fire department would come when I pulled the alarm, so I ran a "test".
Who do all these people keep insisting that my actions have to have consequences?
~Idarubicin
Dude posts screed against bank, says he has nothing to lose, and threatens to scale past fences on major bridge, then says Just Kidding! when cops show up; is miffed cops made him get his head examined.
Deinstitutionalization for most categories of psychiatric patients started around 1950. Psychiatric units are just another specialization in today's hospital.
Facebook institutes antisuicide systems because if it didnt, statistical analysis could eventually paint the social media network as a virtual Suicide forest. Bad publicity all around
Whatever your opinion of suicide, assisted or not, never question Facebooks arbitrary and mandatory policy of forced life support. Shane now has a very large healthcare bill that likely will not be covered by his insurance as he was never in any real jeopardy or harm (not that most american healthcare insurance covers mental wellbeing anyway.) Had shane decided to seek assisted suicide for a condition like inoperable brain cancer, thats a 72 hour mandatory sentence of agony and pointless testing courtesy of the marketing team and endorsed by users everywhere with a gleeful thumbs up.
Good people go to bed earlier.
Unless they track them down and go all clockwork-orange on them I don't really see how the user can be "made" to do anything. They can just you know, put down the phone and shoot themselves.
In fact a coworker lost a friend this way last week. Apparently he (the victim) had been talking to his friends about it for hours on FB and then killed himself. I assume this is all actually FB trying to stave off lawsuits, but I don't see that they could do more, nor that they could afford to ignore the issue.
Some people might commit suicide if they find their FaceBook accounts are locked, so does that even out the effort?
He wasn't held at Gitmo. "Very inhumane conditions" can mean anything without more details.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Oh, wait . . .
Welcome to 1984, just in case you missed the thousands of previous confirmations.
I think about it every day. Doesn't mean I'll do it. You can sure as phuck bet I would never tell anyone anyways. The worst people are always the one's that 'come to your rescue' to tell you you're batshit crazy for not loving their narcissism, junk ass iPhones, Steve Jobs, Miley Cyrus, Bill Clinton, Justin Bieber, Cummins Diesel Trucks, Country Music, FaceBook, Slashdot Trolls (Trolls in general) Libertardians, Dumbocrats, Republitards, Kanye West, Ford Mustangs, Basketball, Football, Hair Bands, 50 SoG, Pop Culture, Income, Phuking Ayn Rand (I'm glad she's dead) take down those nudie posters bois ON and ON.. it's so hilarious what turns you guys on.. I mean you people can't even leave someone alone to enjoy their inteerests without invading their self esteem. Now this makes FB the enemy (well ook its always been shit I rarely post on it). Being put in 'Asylum' is a big problem especially with employers screening. And, I'm beginning to lean toward the idea that if you don't ever have suicidal thoughts given the general crap nature of the human condition that there is something wrong with you. Phuk U FB slimey POS. And, by the way, if want one of the biggest clues to the general downturn of human quality ponder this; Have you ever noticed that just about every interest out there has become an excuse to talk about yourselves?
Secondly, what is missing from the story is this: did he actually have Bank America trouble?
He did. This stunt was to draw attention to his mortgage problems, not a test per se:
San Mateo police took Tusch in their custody and inquired him regarding the post which Tusch confirmed was written by him however he also made it clear to the police that he was not planning for a suicide, this was just to release his frustrations regarding the First Amendment made by Bank America and he wanted to get this in public.
The whole "testing" is a post hoc excuse for pulling a stunt that should have him charged with public mischief.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Should there be gatekeepers to opensource that decide who may and who may not contribute.
Get over yourself, Hans Reiser.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
Five days ago, when SFGate reported this story, it was made quite clear that Tusch's friends were not in on the hoax and took it quite seriously ---
and that someone reported it to the police independently of Facebook.
A mans fake suicide post gets him detained
I urge everyone to close all real name accounts and halt all activity on facebook not directly related to agitation of political ideas immediately. All cordination of facebook activities from this point on should be cordinated off site.
Even if a programmer is harmful, it does not make his work inherently harmful.
I'm just waiting to be "rescued" from political and social ideas that don't jive with facebooks political and advertising partners.
To quote Yakov Smirnoff, "we've had that for years!"
Nice try, dipshit. Facebook users are not a protected class.
user will be made to read Facebook's suicide prevention materials.
I would kill myself if I ever had to read Facebook's suicide prevention materials.
... look it up, because no matter how well that creep plays the victim, he doesn't have a leg to stand on.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Long post for someone who doesn't care?
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
Broken to a point where I'll question your sanity if you defend it. Facebook is not a Government agency, and is not a Public service. They are completely unaccountable for their actions, and completely unregulated. Facebook is a private company that makes money off of exploiting people, both with and without their knowledge. As such, you can not compare someone posting something to Facebook to pulling a fire alarm or dialing 911. They are not the same thing on any level.
The real argument here is whether or not Facebook should be monitoring individual posts to the point of being able to call 911 on a person. What we are provided in TFA is a single post to Facebook, not a history of suicidal tendencies. Meaning, if this is everything Facebook could call 911 on you if you posted a cat meme with text about suicide as easy as they called on this guy. As long as someone else said "he might be suicidal!" after reading your meme (maybe).
Though I doubt he/it will, I sure hope this results in a lawsuit and that Facebook loses.
Sure, some of his artificial "Friends" bear responsibility since they reported him. A real friend would have called, or come to visit to see if they could intervene it they thought for a second he was serious. That said, Facebook has no business reporting people based on what gets posted. They do not have context, especially in this case, to know why someone posted something. Sure, if you are dumb enough to use Facebook they do have right to read everything you write. I read the EULA and don't use their service at all (in fairness I don't use Twitter either). Having my text for marketing purposes is not nearly the same things as reporting it to a Government agency for what ever purposes they see fit. If they are reporting this to police here, what do they report elsewhere? Do they report anticommunist posts in China to the Chinese government, as long as they can cash in?
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
This is exactly why I will NEVER use Facebook.
Your phone gets nicked. Thief thinks will be funny to send you to the loony bin, posts suicidal thoughts. Before you notice your phone is even gone you are in the asylum. Will they believe you when you say you never posted? Not without interrogation, mental stability analysis, and perhaps even some psych drugs being shoved down your throat.
Same thing with terror threats, personal threats, all which could land you in JAIL because your password got compromised.
Facebook, twitter, etc. are all of the sudden acting like police and psychiatrists, and both are so prone to being hacked. Yes, I will opt out of that risk thank you!
but tell that to people who, on the basis of Facebook posts by other people of the licensees page, have to defend their license at licensing board hearing.
I don't know. Will that take a long time or not?
I wish more companies had this stance, but alas.. When I worked for a DOD contractor we were warned monthly not to post personal information on Facebook, MySpace, Linked, or anywhere else that a person could track you. Not only do you not know how they will use what you post, you also put yourself and your family at risk by becoming easy to find.
Medical people can bet targeted for all sorts of nasty things, from drugs to free treatments. Defense obviously had state secrets to worry about. Any company has a similar potential risk.
-The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.
Facebook would lock the suicidal user's account and the user will be made to read Facebook's suicide prevention materials.
Removing a means of communication and forcing someone to read drivel isn't my idea of helping someone on the verge of suicide.
In Facebook. You provide a Suicide feature which lets them bring death to their Facebook identity. From then on the account is forever tagged as a victim of suicide. For a lot of people that will be sufficient death for them.
Have you ever been depressed? Suicide people have no interests in general. That's depression not self-centeredness. When you're depressed you don't have the energy for hobbies, other people don't like being around depressed people so no relationships, no intellectual challenges because they don't matter because you're depressed. Every comment has a negative impact because that way it reinforces your negative view of yourself. You must be depressed for some reason, so having anything validate that makes you feel good in a distorted way. Wallowing in self-pity makes you feel better as it validates your depression. However doing so does nothing to fix it but increases it as you lose more and more friends, energy, and interests. As a dying man struggles for a few more gasps of air in the bottom of sinking ship instead of swimming outside, depressed people try to hold on to the only source of something good in their lives and that source ends up being self-pity. It won't save you, but it makes you feel slightly better as you go under so you'll cling to it for hope. But it's a false hope that destroys you. It's extremely easy to become more deeply depressed just because you're already depressed. We don't feel important. We're so unimportant that the world would be a better place without us.
At least that's one view of depression.
People who are suicidal like me most likely aren't going to be posting things like I want to kill myself to their facebook page unless they are moments from doing it and this is their way of a sucide note. Therefore, the 72 lock down has no purpose. Most people who have suicidal thoughts have depression like me, and people with depression have a hard time coming out and being open about their depression. The depression makes them feel as if they can't tell people. So really, no suicidal person will benefit from this. I understand we are all trying to gain popularity but saying that we support suicide prevention but it would be more worthwhile if they donated money to organizations more in control of helping kids, when most depression starts. giving money to the school districts so that they can hire more teachers, reduce class sizes, and therefore giving the teacher more time to get to know their students and get them to talk about what they were going through. With so many kids in the classrooms at a time, teachers can't give as much individual attention to the kids who need help with depression and such.
But idk, just my stupid opinion. I doubt anyone would care.
I have found that the people who do not think they will be, and want most not to be confined, are. Society is against you. Don't you forget it.
I find the whole fixation the world has with *stopping* other people from making the only true decision they can make ridiculous.
1) no one chooses to be born
2) no one chooses the circumstances into which they are born
3) no one chooses the body, genes, and possibly-related health they are born to
4) the only *real* decision a person can truly make is how they exit this life
Yet so many people never decide anything about it and instead just let life/fate/whatever decide how they exit this world for them.
Why are we so averse to the few people that choose to make this decision for themself? No matter what the reasoning they use to decide to stop living, who are *we* to tell them that they cannot or should not, or detain them for even contemplating it and sharing their ideas out loud? (especially if it isn't even a crime??) Who else has walked in their shoes *at all*?
Their friends and family may be selfishly sad, but the person may be ending who-knows what sorts of anguish, boredom, or frustration.
It's frankly no one else's f*ing business if/when someone decides to end it.
Sortof.
bickerdyke
I have to ask - Is the linked article on techworm a fake? It's the first link in the parent post. The quality of English there is just a little bit off. It's not quite natural sounding. It's like something someone would say when writing as a second language when their skills are very good, but not fluent. The article reads a bit like an email spam as a result.
I have to wonder what other things he "tests"? Airport bomb detectors? The White House fence alarms? His neighbor's back door lock? Unless he was contracted by Facebook to test their services, he mostly seems to be a jackass who is wasting everybody's time. Or, just maybe, he's actually got a problem and is trying to make an excuse for his behavior.
Looking further at the article, and the comments posted to it allegedly from the "tester", I'm more inclined to believe that no, this wasn't any kind of "test", this was actual disturbed behavior, and furthermore I don't see any evidence that any system on Facebook's end led to the involvement of the police, it seems more likely that he was reported by people who read his posts. All in all I think this article wasn't worth linking to in the first place.
And how many of the people, like yourself, who justify killing women with old testament quotes, are Jews? After all, the O.T. was the law god supposedly gave to the jews, his "chosen people", alone - and today most Jews certainly don't condone killing someone for adultery. Crappy attempt at trolling.
"Transparent" is a shit show that trades on every stereotype going. A man in drag is NOT a transsexual.
I'm curious about the "very inhumane conditions". About the only thing I can find about the detail of his detention was the multiple blood tests that occurred (hardly inhumane, as they're part of assessing and assuring his health) and that he had to sleep on the floor.
No indication of whether that was forced or incidental, whether the floor was padded at the time, whether it was part of reducing/removing the means by which he might commit suicide, etc.
So really it's all just hearsay.
So negative feelings are sufficient grounds to lock people up
Explicitly stating your intent to commit suicide due to a genuine source of concern and stress identifies you as someone that's at risk. Society considers it important to help such people, sorry.
From TFA:
San Mateo police took Tusch in their custody and inquired him regarding the post which Tusch confirmed was written by him
http://www.mhac.org/help/hotli...
72-Hour Mental Health Hold
If you need to get help for someone who may not want help but needs it immediately, you may need to arrange for involuntary hospitalization. This process is called a "72-hour Mental Health Hold."
Under California law, only designated personnel can place a person in 72-hour hold, often called a "515O." They can be police officers, members of a "mobile crisis team," or other mental health professionals authorized by their county.
One of three conditions must be present for an individual to be placed on a 72-hour hold. The designated personnel believe there is probable cause that because of a mental disorder the individual is:
A danger to him or herself;
A danger to others; or
Gravely disabled (unable to provide for his or her basic personal needs for food, clothing or shelter).
The person placed in a 72-hour hold must be advised of his/her rights. The facility requires an application stating the circumstances under which the persons condition was called to the attention of the officer or professional; what probable cause there is to believe the person is a danger to others, a danger to him or herself, or gravely disabled (due to a mental disorder); and the facts upon which this probable cause is based. Mere conclusions without supporting facts are not sufficient.
What Happens During an Involuntary Hold?
When a person is detained for up to 72 hours, the hospital is required to do an evaluation of that person, taking into account his/her medical, psychological, educational, social, financial and legal situation. The hospital does not have to hold the patient for the complete 72 hours if the professional person in charge believes that the patient no longer requires evaluation or treatment.
By the end of the 72 hours, one of the following things must happen:
The person may be released;
The person may sign in as a voluntary patient;
The person may be put on a 14-day involuntary hold (a "certification for intensive treatment").
Does the Person Being Held Involuntarily Have Any Rights?
Yes. A mental health patient being held involuntarily must be informed of the following rights in a language or manner he/she can understand:
To keep and use his/her own personal possessions including toilet articles and clothing;
To keep and be allowed to spend a reasonable sum of his/her own money (a conservator shall be appointed as required);
To have access to individual storage space for private use;
To see visitors each day;
To have reasonable access to telephones;
To have ready access to letter writing materials, including stamps & mail;
To receive unopened mail;
To refuse convulsive treatment;
To refuse psychosurgery;
To see a patients' rights advocate;
To be assisted by an attorney at the certification review hearing.
In addition, the patient has the right to be informed fully of the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment and give his/her informed consent. A patient has the right to refuse medication unless there is an emergency condition or the patient is found to lack capacity to make an informed decision after a judicial hearing. If, at that hearing, the patient is found to lack capacity
Mit der Dummheit kämpfen Götter selbst vergebens
And I thought there were only 43 reasons to cancel facebook. Now there are 44.
There must be 50 ways to leave your stalker^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hfacebook.
The Future of Human Evolution: Autonomy
APK, why are you having a conversation with yourself? Is it possible for someone so intelligent to not realise they are universally despised on Slashdot, and that everyone knows no-one ever agrees with you because all you do is post advertisements for your ad-blocking software (which can't be blocked by your ad-blocking software - the irony!)?
You are the only person backing yourself up. You need some serious help, and you won't find it in a hosts file or the liberal use of sock puppets and bold tags.
"Facebook, acting on the concerns of random trolls, thinks you're crazy and should be locked up for your own good. Kthxbye."
I hope this article is being tagged "whatcouldpossiblygowrong".
Welcome to the Panopticon. Used to be a prison, now it's your home.
So a suicidal person or one thought to be suicidal with then definitely commit suicide being forced to read Facebooks suicide prevention documentation.
"We at Facebook have noticed that you recently listed your status as "meh" please click this link and read the materials it points to".
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
OK, I posted the 'causes' comment and lots of cowards replied or moderated.
I have been there. I've been there with many others in a group situation.I know. The comment just above this is accurate for many- the rest are trash.
Many of my friends who shared this condition with me are long gone and forgotten. They died so long ago that they aren't listed on the internet. They are truly gone. The ones who survived did it by one simple technique: They learned to look outside themselves. They refused to turn inward.
What saved me was the Milky Way. It was still visible when I had my troubles. A vast infinite sea of objects, each little dot far bigger than I could even imagine. And beyond my vision many more. And here I am in a common type of galaxy, a boring solar system, a small blue planet, and I'm one of billions of creatures on that planet. Is my ego so big that I think I'm important? Not when I look at the heavens. I got over myself.
Some people may need drugs or other help initially. I can't speak for everyone, but I have observed many. But I strongly believe this to be true:
To the extent that you think you and your miserable life are important, you will suffer. Get over yourself, participate in the world around you. Join an organization that does good work. Read a book that isn't about sick people (I read every psychology book I could find at first). Exercise and learn tai chi. Help a child who is struggling in school.
And ignore anonymous cowards.
...omphaloskepsis often...
...have to defend their license at a license board hearing...
To all Slashdotters, take note:
- Never support licensing for programmers.
- NEVER support licensing for programmers.
- NEVER SUPPORT LICENSING FOR PROGRAMMERS!
If there's anything that can make you a raving libertarian, it's professional licensing. Did you know the US state bars can refuse to license a lawyer who passed all tests and has no criminal record because (paraphrasing) "he's a jerk"? Seriously. Not an exaggeration. I can't find the case right now (slow Internet), but that has happened. Look up how broad the requirement of "good moral character" can be. Don't want that bull feces in YOUR profession? Oppose licensure. Always.
vi ~/.emacs # I'm probably going to Hell for this.
who cares? keep it out of the article.
It's funny how the promise of the proverbial "15-minutes-of-fame" is how Farcebook became so successful in the first place. Now they can make loads of money on advertising! Nothing but...