Originally Posted by analog

As I mentioned earlier, the man did not need "someone". He needed real, professional help. A kind word or shoulder to cry on will only take you so far when you're talking about a chronically depressed alcoholic who's still got physical deficits resulting from a bad car crash 8 months before.

Also: while the goading him on was terrible, the idea that it could be considered manslaughter is sheer lunacy.

Also as was mentioned by someone else before, people who are suicidal often put themselves in situations where someone else can help them do it, by either pushing them over the edge or not paying attention to them. It's well documented with "jumpers" that they will pace back and forth, looking for someone to pay attention to them, to notice they're sad. When no one gives them attention, it gives them that extra "no one gives a shit" boost that they needed to actually make it happen.

A man who is depressed and actually looking to kill himself would absolutely go into an "insult" chat room. Where better to get worked up into a "yeah, i'm gonna DO this!" frenzy? And how is anyone in that chat room supposed to know he's serious? This is the internet- nothing is real until it's REAL.

Once again, that doesn't mean those people aren't assholes for egging him on, but it's ridiculous to suggest they're culpable.

He wanted to die, and used the people in that room to get his nerve up so he could do it. It's the perfect example of the selfishness of suicide... 50 people are now potentially riddled with guilt because he used them to work up his nerve to go through with it.