Unethical subject thread closures

[MigL]

A few hours ago a thread was closed because " we should not discuss any topic about to make explosives".
( Can I make explosives with my own pee ? )

Seems a bit like 'closing the barn door after the horse is gone'.
You can watch a 1967 episode of StarTrek TOS. to find out how to make gunpowder.
( and if you can find a 4 inch bamboo shoot, and a fist sized diamond, you can make a mortar, and kill a Gorn )
You can find a multitude of sites on the 'interwebs' disseminating such information.
And even elementary ( high school level ) textbooks, available at any public library, will give you that information.

If we are primarily a discussion/teaching site, should we be providing safe handling information to people who can get the know-how from other readily available sources, but who may well injure themselves ( and others ), because they are not aware of the dangers ?

[rangerx]

21 minutes ago, MigL said:

A few hours ago a thread was closed because " we should not discuss any topic about to make explosives".
( Can I make explosives with my own pee ? )

Seems a bit like 'closing the barn door after the horse is gone'.
You can watch a 1967 episode of StarTrek TOS. to find out how to make gunpowder.
( and if you can find a 4 inch bamboo shoot, and a fist sized diamond, you can make a mortar, and kill a Gorn )
You can find a multitude of sites on the 'interwebs' disseminating such information.
And even elementary ( high school level ) textbooks, available at any public library, will give you that information.

If we are primarily a discussion/teaching site, should we be providing safe handling information to people who can get the know-how from other readily available sources, but who may well injure themselves ( and others ), because they are not aware of the dangers ?

There are laws governing the manufacture and usage of explosives. Since 9/11 and the Patriot Act, any discussion of explosives by laypersons is a red flag.

I'm certain the owners of this board would rather avoid all of that. Even from a safety/regulatory standpoint, there nothing to be learned here that can't be learned elsewhere through proper channels.

Edited March 12, 2019 by rangerx

[StringJunky]

The more sites there are discussing a topic, the higher the probability of some otherwise uninterested person becoming curious and being enabled to cause harm, to themself or others; intentionally or not.

Edited March 12, 2019 by StringJunky

[CharonY]

4 hours ago, MigL said:

A few hours ago a thread was closed because " we should not discuss any topic about to make explosives".
( Can I make explosives with my own pee ? )

Seems a bit like 'closing the barn door after the horse is gone'.
You can watch a 1967 episode of StarTrek TOS. to find out how to make gunpowder.
( and if you can find a 4 inch bamboo shoot, and a fist sized diamond, you can make a mortar, and kill a Gorn )
You can find a multitude of sites on the 'interwebs' disseminating such information.
And even elementary ( high school level ) textbooks, available at any public library, will give you that information.

If we are primarily a discussion/teaching site, should we be providing safe handling information to people who can get the know-how from other readily available sources, but who may well injure themselves ( and others ), because they are not aware of the dangers ?

I was the one closing the thread and considering the subject it appeared to me a rather obvious decision. The reasoning being rather precisely what StringJunky and rangerx mentioned. While OP may have been harmless, the revival of the thread could lead to problematic discussions and paired with the increased sensitivity of the topic, there is little good to gain from it. Moreover, an anonymous site is not a good place to actually teach safety procedures. At best we can make folks aware of issues (which includes discouraging folks from making explosives) and direct them to local safety officers. The reason is precisely the same as for medical advice, they may be well intended (and even correct) but without accountability it should not be given.

[swansont]

9 hours ago, MigL said:

A few hours ago a thread was closed because " we should not discuss any topic about to make explosives".
( Can I make explosives with my own pee ? )

Seems a bit like 'closing the barn door after the horse is gone'.
You can watch a 1967 episode of StarTrek TOS. to find out how to make gunpowder.

Well, no you can't. You might learn the ingredients, but I doubt that Kirk's method would translate into the real world. 

And that's the divide we will not cross. There are a lot of details between the general knowledge and a working device.

 

[Strange]

12 hours ago, MigL said:

Seems a bit like 'closing the barn door after the horse is gone'.
You can watch a 1967 episode of StarTrek TOS. to find out how to make gunpowder.
( and if you can find a 4 inch bamboo shoot, and a fist sized diamond, you can make a mortar, and kill a Gorn )
You can find a multitude of sites on the 'interwebs' disseminating such information.
And even elementary ( high school level ) textbooks, available at any public library, will give you that information.

You can find all sorts of information in books and online. The fact the information is "out there" does not mean it has to be appropriate for this forum.

[Phi for All]

12 hours ago, MigL said:

If we are primarily a discussion/teaching site, should we be providing safe handling information to people who can get the know-how from other readily available sources, but who may well injure themselves ( and others ), because they are not aware of the dangers ?

We draw some lines, and I think it's a good thing. Should we have allowed David Webb to continue his Pedophelia Ain't So Bad thread? I'm not sure we gain much with some unethical subjects.

[MigL]

Thanks for the feedback guys.
To be clear, I wasn't advocating for continuance of the thread.
I just wanted to know the reasoning behind the closure.

And I appreciate not getting the "Because this is not a democracy." spiel.