[Foundation-l] Fwd: [WikiEN-l] School shooting threats

[Brad Patrick]

Incidentally, people interested in the phenomena should read our article on
the subject:

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

and in particular the referenced articles on risk assessment and how to
conceptualize risk.  In terms of averting disaster, one of the best things
you can do as an individual is actually *pay attention* to people in your
everyday life.  Especially in the school environment, simply interact with
people who might otherwise avoid interaction altogether.  Intervening with a
friendly hello to the "invisible loner" is a minor gesture - inconsequential
to you - but may have a butterfly effect on the
depressed/disenchanted/isolated youth.  Is anything enough to prevent an
incident of this kind?  We don't know.  We can't know.  But I think this
community agrees that doing nothing is not an option.

B

On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 1:50 PM, Chad <innocentkiller at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 1:46 PM, Brad Patrick <bradp.wmf at gmail.com> wrote:
> > I have spoken publicly about this issue on several occasions.  Using the
> > "moral" argument, the fact of someone posting on a project in such a
> manner
> > is grounds for another individual in receipt of this information to act.
>  In
> > previous instances too numerous to count, the posting was brought to the
> > attention of the admin community, and inevitably someone at the office on
> > IRC, with the question "what do we do?"  "We" of course is the problem.
>  If
> > we mean the community, we're talking about a whole lot of editors around
> the
> > world; if we are talking about admins, a narrower group; if we mean the
> > foundation, then we are taking about a handful.  Point being, you contact
> > authorities if you believe the threat is credible.  You do what you can
> > because ethically you don't want to be responsible for having the
> capacity
> > to act and not doing anything.
> >
> > These kinds of situations are a tremendous time sink and a point of
> stress
> > for all concerned.  But, if they are simply ignored, one day it will turn
> > out the warning signs were there, something awful will happen, and we
> will
> > be tarred and feathered.  In my view, imposing any type of obligation as
> a
> > matter of policy is impossible.  We assume good faith; we should assume
> > people who intersect with something as unusual and concerning as this
> will
> > do the right thing.
> >
> > Brad
> > _______________________________________________
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> > foundation-l at lists.wikimedia.org
> > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
> >
>
> Exactly what I was thinking, you just managed to express it better than any
> of the e-mails I drafted and subsequently tossed. Thank you Brad.
>
> -Chad
>
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