[WikiEN-l] "Suicide methods" article

[Sam Blacketer]

On 4/16/07, Jossi Fresco <jossifresco at mac.com> wrote:
> On Apr 16, 2007, at 11:32 AM, Jeff Raymond wrote:
> >
> > We're not in the market of making "good" or "bad" judgement - we're
> > in the
> > market of building a comprehensive encyclopedia.
>
> I just read the article.  Removing all unsourced material, and how-
> to's (as per [[WP:NOT]], can leave the article informative without
> being a user manual for suicide.

I agree with Jossi - the article isn't really a how-to guide at the
moment (eg "if you're planning on hanging yourself, make sure you
measure the floor to ceiling height and choose a room that's taller
than you and the rope").

Possibly suicidal people who read this may be slightly encouraged but
this is unavoidable; the subject is encyclopaedic on a medical and
sociological basis. Also, reading the biographies of people in
[[Category:Suicides]] and subcategories may encourage people, but it
would be unacceptable to go removing sourced information merely
because of a speculated effect on the reader. That might be the thin
end of the wedge.

The suicidal have plenty of websites to go to which *do* provide a
how-to guide - disturbingly many, in fact. It's unlikely they will
come to Wikipedia.


-- 
Sam Blacketer
London E15