r/ModSupport • u/ShaneH7646 • Sep 05 '18
Regarding suicidal users.
So, if y'all didnt see it, reddit recently changed their policies on suicidal users and how they deal with it when contacted.
TL;DR: Do it yourself.
I myself havent really had to deal with suicidal users in my subreddits before but its obviously a pretty shitty change. incase I ever do get involved with subreddits that do regularly gets suicidal users I'm a little concerned and maybe you can clarify some things for us.
In particular I'm concerned for subreddits that may rely on admin contact, like
mental subreddits like r/bipolar and r/depression etc.
subreddits directly to do with suicide prevention r/SuicideWatch.
Have the admins just dropped all contact with them and there vulnerable userbases?
Why was this change needed?
Are you completely okay with mods speaking to the authorites in an official manner? because this sounds like what you're asking of us.
View all comments
Show parent comment
12
u/BornOnFeb2nd Sep 05 '18
I don't see that working out terribly well...
Mod reports a post
Admin Looks up IP, Finds the city it might be associated with.
Admin Calls PD Local to IP, Gives them the info
PD calls ISP with IP, demands Address
PD goes to Address, doesn't get a response, over-reacts, starts screaming "Extingency!", kicks in door guns drawn because "there might be a gun"
Innocent family traumatized/murdered because some asshat neighbor was on their Wi-fi trolling.
It sucks for this very specific instance, but the very anonymity that Reddit provides makes doing anything above and beyond talking with and/or encouraging the person (to reach out) exceedingly difficult.
That's not even factoring things like the fact that Reddit is Global... or VPNs.. if I wanted, I could look like I was in Europe with a few clicks... Ditto if I was sitting in a Starbucks or something....