Seconded; speculating about a person's demise before they're even in the ground is in stupendously bad taste. Family and friends (and others) don't want to read that crap. Give it a rest, people.
I would have no problem with public speculation about the manner of or motives behind the death of any of my friends or family.
Most speculation is a bunch of hot air, but such threads also provide a place to talk about the deceased and his works, and to talk about other, related things. I, for one, appreciate the vast majority of conversation attached to this HN post.
On several scuba and climbing sites I visit, there is a strict separation between mourning a death and speculating/analyzing the cause.
It may be a little different here, but the experience with risky sports is that a thread examining the cause may include suggestions that the person was somewhat at fault.
Many of the people mourning someones passing would prefer such discussions not be interleaved with celebrating their accomplishments or friends grieving the loss.
I certainly think both conversations should happen. But humans being human, it isn't always the best thing for them to happen in the same place at the same time.
First, my condolences to friends and family. Josh clearly touched a lot of people in his life. And Yes, it's a terrific custom. Remember there will probably be many folks who knew Josh that might stumble into this discussion (I hope so, as the testimonials might provide some comfort.)
Well that leaves it in the hands of caring individuals, intelligent sentient beings, to refrain from speculation here.
No need to call for a tech-solution, when the solution is simply to be found in human decency and kindness.
Having gone through a quite similar loss myself recently, I view things maybe slightly different and would not have liked reading/hearing speculation about fathers death while mourning his loss and having to deal with the shock of his last farewell.
Your opening sentence implies that anyone who desires to engage in speculation is not a caring individual. Perhaps this is not what you intended.
I, too have lost enemies, acquaintances, friends, and family. My position regarding public speculation as to any aspect of each one's demise was the same then as it is now.
Metafilter's solution to the desire of some to engage in speculation and of others to not intermingle that speculation with well-wishes and sympathy is first and foremost a social one. Moderators and community participants steer misdirected conversation to the appropriate thread.
It is true that Mefi's software[0] makes this guidance far easier to achieve than HN's software [1]. Frankly, I'm quietly calling for a technical change that will allow the HN community to enact a large cultural change.
The technical change alone is woefully insufficient. Without a corresponding cultural change, speculation and well-wishes will remain intermixed.
[0] Anything posted by a member appears on the front page. The latest X posts are displayed on the front page. Posts fall off of the front page as new ones come in.
[1] Member posts must receive a certain -unknown- number of upvotes to appear on the front page. Posts that appear on the front page require a constant stream of additional votes in order to stay on the front page.
> ...speculating on cause of death is nonetheless considered in extremely poor taste.
This feeling is far from universal. Never forget that most of us live in our own social bubble.
It would very be nice if -as braythwayt mentioned a little bit earlier- we could section off speculation from condolences and remembrances. Unfortunately, HN -with its relatively short lived posts, flat posting namespace, and votes-make-topics-stick-on-the-frontpage mechanism- is not able to meet this need.
