How about if you're talking to someone fuming about a local politician and he's talking about making an explosive and you say "I can't help you make a bomb but Google _____ if you're interested in learning how others do it"
If the person goes and then tries it, yes, I agree you share in the responsibility for their actions. It was reasonable for you to believe the intent was serious and you provided essential guidance to making it a reality.
There's that word "just" again. "just telling someone" adds deceptive misdirection. The context of who you tell and how and why are all important.
If you say "idk, maybe Google 'how to make a bomb,'" then that's not essential guidance. If you say "Google for [list of specific key ingredients]," that's a bit different.
> but Google _____ if you're interested in learning how others do it.
> ...and you provided essential guidance to making it a reality.
That's called essential guidance? Man, I guess I could be an educator and mentor, providing essential guidance on software. I guess people are serious when they say software is Google-fu.
Considering how the internet is full of questions that could be solved by googling them, you could make the argument that it's essential.
It becomes even more essential if you provide them with the proper search terms that would give them better results. Interpreting what "better search terms" is, is something a good lawyer should be able to manage.
If the person goes and then tries it, yes, I agree you share in the responsibility for their actions. It was reasonable for you to believe the intent was serious and you provided essential guidance to making it a reality.
There's that word "just" again. "just telling someone" adds deceptive misdirection. The context of who you tell and how and why are all important.