Ethical quandary: Would you monetize suicide?

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HarveyJ

HarveyJ

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Would you actually go there?

I read an interesting article in the paper the other day about all these Japanese suicide sites. Now, we all know they're nothing new.
The new element is that a few of them now have direct sales links to the items you would need to commit suicide in your method of choosing.
Pharma links for sleeping pills, links to direct products at hardware stores that you can combine on the stove to make hydrogen sulfide gas or just sturdy nylon rope, etc.

My secondary question, which now makes this less distressing and kind of funny, is: If you were willing to go there, how far WOULD you go in developing it?
Amazon links to the lighter side of suicide as a gift for people that failed in an attempt? Maybe some Dostoyevsky or Brecht books so people feel so amazingly depressed after wards they're more likely to?
Suicide cruises in the (ant)arctic circle, so if you jump overboard you'll be dead in 4 minutes from hypothermia? Links to Goth club poetry recital flyers?
 


Ethical? I dunno.

But wouldn't it actually be illegal in many sites to sell shit with the intention of being used as a suicide aid? Basically its not illegal to sell the items, but to promote suicide and say 'this is what you could buy to do it, buy it from us' is a whole other ball park.

So technically I wouldn't go there simply because I don't like lawyers.
 
I've thought about it. I had an awesome domain picked out. And then I decided that the only thing I would do with the site is give people resources to change their mind and convince them why its a terrible idea.

The idea of selling resources to actually commit suicide is something I would never even consider. I thought of other ideas but then realized that there are plenty of other websites to make, niches to explore... I didn't even want to try and touch it because its just too much exploitation.

I remember after 9/11 seeing all the infomercials of companies selling those commemorative coins and thinking how absolutely pitiful that was. They gave it a positive spin, but I didn't really care.

Regardless of what kind of money there is to be made by it, you have to look yourself in the mirror. I'd like to think I have pretty decent ethical/moral standards. I'm not worried so much what other people think of me but what I think of myself.

Other people might not care and be fine with exploiting anything and everything. Good for them. They can have the money from it and I'll have my piece of mind.
 
trigatch4 said:
I've thought about it. I had an awesome domain picked out. And then I decided that the only thing I would do with the site is give people resources to change their mind and convince them why its a terrible idea.

The idea of selling resources to actually commit suicide is something I would never even consider. I thought of other ideas but then realized that there are plenty of other websites to make, niches to explore... I didn't even want to try and touch it because its just too much exploitation.

I remember after 9/11 seeing all the infomercials of companies selling those commemorative coins and thinking how absolutely pitiful that was. They gave it a positive spin, but I didn't really care.

Regardless of what kind of money there is to be made by it, you have to look yourself in the mirror. I'd like to think I have pretty decent ethical/moral standards. I'm not worried so much what other people think of me but what I think of myself.

Other people might not care and be fine with exploiting anything and everything. Good for them. They can have the money from it and I'll have my piece of mind.
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You have to wonder if View All Demotivators® claimed any lives... (mean seriously the ones that really want to go, are going to find a way with or without your help)

sanity.jpg
 
I wouldn't sell acai but I probably would monetise suicide.

If I had a useful, informative site about the subject then I'd find a way to monetise it, but not by selling the tools to do the job. Maybe just amazon/ebay and books about the subject or Adsense (seems the God squad are bidding on it for search at least). Personally, I'd have to target people looking for more information rather than those in buying/dying mode.
 
It's just crazy how the euthanasia movement is growing so much.

I would think that yes, it's unethical to promote suicide assistance offers. Also, if this ended up being an issue in the future, couldn't you be treated as an accomplice?
 
ZulesM said:
It's just crazy how the euthanasia movement is growing so much.

I would think that yes, it's unethical to promote suicide assistance offers. Also, if this ended up being an issue in the future, couldn't you be treated as an accomplice?
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Depends on the state/country. Also the manner of your involvement.

Before they tried that woman over the myspace suicide, it was generally considered that people on the net didn't really have any fault for someone taking their own life.
 
Oh, I should point out that I a, asking this as an actual hypothetical to see where people go with it. I don't have any domains in the niche, or any particular interest in writing articles on how to ensure you can get a plastic bag over your head to be comfortable enough to fall asleep under, or which particular vehicular impact leaves a prettier corpse.

Actually, having said that, a parody based site would be fun, but you'd probably still be giving too much info to be able to not be responsible for at least a few people getting the gumption to off themselves.

ZulesM Are there actually euthanasia offers out there? That's hilariously funny if there are.
 
trigatch4 said:
I've thought about it.............

.....you have to look yourself in the mirror.

Other people might not care and be fine with exploiting anything and everything. Good for them. They can have the money from it and I'll have my piece of mind.
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agreed to all of that

Not good to gain on others misery.

This topic is very Kevorkian
 
HarveyJ said:
ZulesM Are there actually euthanasia offers out there? That's hilariously funny if there are.
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Maybe they're under the radar?

Well who knows...some euthanasia site could read your post and steal your "idea". They'll be thinking, damn I should build an affiliate program.
 
kblessinggr said:
Depends on the state/country. Also the manner of your involvement.

Before they tried that woman over the myspace suicide, it was generally considered that people on the net didn't really have any fault for someone taking their own life.
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Crazy. Have you ever seen the move Untraceable? That totally relates to your point, but can prove the opposite.
 
I think the number 4 is spelled the same as "death" in either Japanese or Chinese. Also, due to superstition, the number of deaths on every 4th of the month are statistically higher for them.
Now, you can use one of those old internet scripts that analyze the numerology in your life and tweak it to show to those people that every number in their lives revolves around 4. Then convince them that they are doomed to die (no shit mortal?) and offer them painless or painful depending on their preference ways to off themselves, like surgeon quality blades or dull used ones. Of course, before they complete the order presell them either a charity donation or a life insurance lead (hack the latter to always put your name as the next of kin, and the former to send donations to your fake kids charity non-profit).
Then its the usual, dropshipping, ppc, tracking, scaling, etc etc. I think you can handle the rest.
 
glowleaf said:
I think the number 4 is spelled the same as "death" in either Japanese or Chinese. Also, due to superstition, the number of deaths on every 4th of the month are statistically higher for them.
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That's why Canon never released a PowerShot G4, they just went from the G3 to the G5.

Also I don't think they have a 4th floor, just like how we don't have a 13th floor.
 
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