Facebook adds Samaritans suicide risk alert system

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12667343

by imran • 15 years ago

17 13 15 years ago

bbc.co.uk

ebiester• 15 years ago

Please don't be abused....

Please oh please oh please don't be abused.

Please, ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend with a facebook password, avoid the temptation to post a fake suicide note and then report using someone else's account.

Or middle schoolers who think this would be a funny practical joke.

Ever had a sinking feeling?

hkr• 15 years ago

It will be abused anyways, this is the Internet. Facebook could simply log IP (as if they don't already) and report the trolls.

ozziegooen2• 15 years ago

So far it hasn't been at all, that was the point of the test:

"The system had been operating in a trial mode, without publicity for three months, during which it received several genuine reports and no hoaxes, according to Samaritans."

Doesn't sound too bad.

jarin• 15 years ago

It should be fairly difficult to abuse, since you need to link to the suicidal post in the contact form. I assume a human at Facebook will look at it before sending in the SWAT team.

ozziegooen2• 15 years ago

This makes Facebook seem more creepy. To me and anyone already concerned they have to much user information.

One alternative would be to have Facebook sponsor a new independent local charity to do exactly this. People can relate to a local charity, they can't relate to Facebook.

mkjones• 15 years ago

The first thing you see on the help page is a list of places to contact that are external / not related to Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/help/?faq=15538.

wyclif2• 15 years ago

Three Facebook stories on the front page of HN at the moment. The rot is in for sure. For a second, I thought I was reading TechCrunch.

wyclif2• 15 years ago

No, really. There were three FB stories on the front page when I wrote that.

lazugod• 15 years ago

You haven't made an argument why such would be considered "rot".

maeon3• 15 years ago

I would rather see an alert system to alarm the police when facebook is caught selling my information to 3rd parties.

nandemo• 15 years ago

I find it funny that they never bother to explain what or who are the Samaritans. It's probably a charity but I like to imagine they're talking about the real Samaritans:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan

chris_j• 15 years ago

Very funny. It's referring to a charity, of course, which is extremely well known in the UK (and in Ireland, if Wikipedia is to be believed). Here is the correct Wikipedia page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritans_(charity)

The charity is most well known for the phone line that it runs, staffed by volunteers, that anyone can call if they are feeling suicidal or just desperate and need someone to talk to. An ex girlfriend of mine worked as a Samaritans volunteer for a short while. She said that it was very hard work (manning the phones all night and dealing with a fair few prank/abusive callers) and also extremely worthwhile and rewarding.

Facebook adds Samaritans suicide risk alert system

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