Fake 911 call right here in forum - am I wrong ?

Right here in Off-Topic, a little while ago I read something meant to be funny, and so treated by quite a number of responders.
It was this:
/112/a2/69617/1.html

My reaction was different. I saw it as a fake 911 call, capable if uncriticised of establishing a precedent capable of killing a human being, or at least denying lifesaving help.

I knew I would be derided, but I posted this :
/112/a2/69617/1.html#post722288

I judged that the fake was over the line of acceptability. It was too similar to what the real thing might be like. It was not sufficiently unbelievable to be safe.

Please read the two posts. Was I being ridiculous and stuffy ? Or did I have a genuine concern ?

I care for my mother, who has had several strokes, and the problem of her getting help, even merely of her not dying alone and uncomforted, is on my mind. This was too close to what such a cry for help might look like.

Imagine suddenly collapsing over your keyboard, then struggling to reach out in the one way left open to you, and meeting inceasing hilarity, mockery and imitation, as this post did. Of course, this wasn't real. But it just might have been.

Did my personal circumstances color my judgement, so that my posting was oversensitive and unreasonable ? Or should we all be alert, in every situation, for a cry for help, via even the most unlikely channel? I'm not claiming special right to be offended - thats something I abhor. I just want opinions on what is reasonable.

Don't go all fluffy and over-empathise. Give it to me straight. Its ok. Really.

If I were having a stroke and needed help I would probably type my address or something.

The post was a bit on the verbose side to be a true cry for help.

I think you are being overly sensitive to the subject.

I'm not here to argue, Neehai, but in case you don't realise, a stroke often jumbles your language skills, and the problem of working out what to type, and getting it through, would be a major obstacle, which might well need guidance from the other end. Difficult, but hopefully superable. But thank you for your response, Neehai. Its what I wanted, and you are probably right. Anyone else?

Are you familiar at all with Taco's posting history?

No.

I agree it is a factor, in that all his pals would know the jokey reality from the context. But maybe I might have seen it first when they were not around, and started trying to help, alerting Lindens etc. How far would he have taken it ?

Or, more importantly, the other way round. Imagine those who enjoyed this thread suddenly see something vaguely similar by another poster, a few months down the line. How are they likely to respond ? Could it be a Taco alt, elaborating the humor ? Maybe they don't even remember his name, these joiners-in ?

Oh damn - I'm arguing aren't I.

On balance, though, David, what do you think. Are fake funny 911 calls ok in the future, maybe in a variety of creative forms ? Could grow into a whole genre. Would that be ok ?

Where would you draw the line ? Coherent reports of being trapped by fire? Cornered by a rapist ? Child going unconscious ? All ok if funny enough ? Maybe the most convincing ones most funny ?

This one began "I think I've had a stroke". How about "I'm trapped by a gunman" ?

I'm sorry. I have no self-discipline, do I ? I won't argue again except maybe to summarise at the end. Look. Mouth tight shut. Truly in listening mode.

I thought it was in poor taste, but that's because I know elderly people I like very much who will die soon, have died recently, or have fallen and been unable to receive assistance. However, I wouldn't deprive other people of their right to make light of unfortunate situations (god knows I'm an unnecessarily sadistic and reckless fusker sometimes), I would just not participate.

If you really think someone is in trouble, you could always ask them and pm them.

A simple "that's not funny " can let people know how you feel without danger of overreacting.

I can sort of relate as it gave me pause for a moment too because when I started an anti-seizure medication a few months ago it was very similar to the way I was typing my emails and things and I nearly could not do my RL job and for awhile you did not see much of me in the forums even.

So I have to admit, it gave me pause for a sec until I saw that it was A) Taco who posted it (which made me laugh) and B) all the letters from the lower part of the keyboard were missing (which I thought was clever) as opposed to words like "shoudl" or "dosent" or repetion of sentences (which I was doing so frequently I had to read the stuff I typed out loud to myself to catch it).

So all I can say is to take it for what it is, a clever bit of humor.

I thought the smiley use gave it away.

P2

I thought the poster gave it away

ah hell, i just thought the guy was funny...and then when he lost the middle row too, come on...was almost impossible to read!!! Ellie i understand your sensativity to the stroke thing but taco is a (commedian) term used loosely lest He get a big head! So smile girl....and love life!!!!

~~teri

Yes.

I mean come on someone having a stroke is gonna say to themselves: "Oh my god i am having a stroke I need to go into the SL forums, go to the off topic forum create a new thread and post it and wait for someone to reply" Just plain ridiculous.

Ok, guys. I never ask questions if I am not genuinely open to the answer. I accept that I over-reacted due to my circumstances. I apologise to all concerned.

Phew... not that hard really is it ?
Thanks for the honest opinions.

LMAO. You know, these forums are FAST - I can post something and get a response back in a minute or two. 911 would take at least triple that to get the ambulance here...

I saw the thread and thought it was pretty lame but I never thought it was a true 'cry for help' because of the posts that are made here. I see now how it could have been viewed that way by some and the fact that you did just shows what a caring person you are so there is no need to feel bad about it.

I personally don't think it is cool or funny to make a joke about something like a stroke etc but that's just my opinion...

Ellie,

I am sorry I hadn't had the opportunity to read this thread until now, and I am honestly sorry if I caused you undue concern. I feel that it was fairly obvious that I wasn't having suffering from any (unusual for me) problems, and that it was in jest, but to you and anyone else who had difficulty in understanding that, I sincerely apologize and thank you very much for your concern.

Tao Ruio

A couple of years ago I heard a couple of shotgun discharges outside my apartment (usually gunfire isn't that close to my apartment and you can only hear it in the distance, and always handguns). I called 911 and it took them almost 20 minutes to EVEN PICK UP. Then they didn't even send a patrol over, they just had a chopper do a fly-by.

So yeah. Guess I should buy kevlar armor and my own defibrillator.

Usually? Exactly how much gunfire goes on where you live? I personally have never heard gunfire anywhere I've been lol. Maybe you should umm move

Purely out of curiousity - why do you place any credence in the majority opinion? The fact that so many think you overreacted gives me reason to think you might not have - largely because the majority is more often wrong than not.

Where I grew up you could hear gunfire. Country... City... what's the diff?

Hey - I had a personal reaction too, Ellie, though I know that Taco is just a lunatic and prolly outta be let go to die anyway (love ya Taco! ) I also have had someone close to me suffer from strokes that relentlessly erased most abilities. It didn't stike me as funny so I didn't get into it. I am like that with folks who pretend to have seizures too.

I always have a bad feeling when I see 'stuff' like that - as if they are real and something needs to be done - because it has been real for some of us.

If it hasn't happened in a profound way to someone - I dunno - I guess its one of those things that people will find funny til it aint anymore.

I gave it as much weight as I gave these cries for help which I thought were much worse:

/112/f5/69289/1.html

/112/20/69190/1.html
/112/c8/68850/1.html
/112/47/69345/1.html

Oh just great. Now you are making me laugh so hard my co-workers think that I'm not only weird in email but nuts in person too.

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