Rassah, I'm really hoping this is you being sarcastic, or said with tongue firmly in cheek, because this is ridiculous. This is one of the
most heavily debunked suicide myths,
period.
70% of people who threaten go on to make an attempt. I thought everyone knew that was a myth. Freaking
seriously?! Please stop spreading harmful disinformation to people who might believe it.
Not being sarcastic. Note not a single one of those lists of myths mentions posting on forums or telling everyone.
While that's true, consider your very own words:
It's a horrible and private thought, and though yes, they try to reach out and leave clues, it's usually to friends, trusted people, or those they hope care about them. Posting about suicide publicly on a forum is 97% chance of begging for attention, and although the person may be desperate and depressed, it's extremely unlikely they will act on the publicly announced suicide. You have to actually look for and know how to recognize the signs of those who are serious. Also, as always, 73% of statistics are made up on the spot.
The part I bolded makes it clear that it is quite possible for a long-time forum member to be serious. While I agree that a random newbie posting about suicide is likely trolling, it's a different case entirely when it comes to established forum members. Established members might consider the people on the forum to be their friends, or at the very least, they hope that the people on the forum care about them. They might consider it "safer" than telling a trusted friend, because people on the internet aren't as likely to report it to people in real life.