From: utzoo!utcsrgv!roderick
Newsgroups: net.suicide
Title: Goodbye, cruel world...
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.1172
Posted: Sun Mar 13 13:48:34 1983
Received: Sun Mar 13 15:40:58 1983

I have been reading this idiotic newsgroup for about as long as it has
existed, and I have yet to see more than a handful of worthwhile articles
appear.  (And by this I mean that the garbage percentage is even higher here
than in all the other newsgroups.  No, it's not a polite thing to say, is it?)
All of the "wonderful", "sensitive", "caring" techniques for dissuading would-be
suicides could be obtained from a single reading of any pamphlet on the subject
put out by your local mental health organization.  If you really care, there 
are also a number of good books available (no, I don't have the references --
go look them up yourself).  But beware:  Counselling is something that takes
skill, sensitivity and (sometimes) training.

The rest of the submissions fall into three categories:
    (1)  Drivel
    (2)  Offensiveness
    (3)  Black Humour
Categories (1) and (2) need and deserve little comment.  Category (3) was
the original reason I began reading this newsgroup.  At one time, some really 
admirable examples of this neglected art were exhibited here.  However, it seems
to have been bashed into nonexistence by the incessant spewing of (1)- and (2)-
authors.  I am still trying to decide whether "rabbit!bimmler" falls into
category (2) or (3).  Regardless of whichever it is, he/she/it now remains
as the only interesting artifact of this newsgroup.

If you have any flames, don't bother posting them to this newsgroup, send
them to me by mail.  (You may by now have deduced that I will no longer read
this group -- very good.)

                                  In a very poor mood indeed,
                                            Rod Glover
                                            U of Toronto
                                            ...!utzoo!utcsrgv!roderick