Updated Post
Wed, 7 Oct 2015 at 11.17 p.m.
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“If you’re in Dunedin, I wouldn’t recommend coming to Otago University on Wednesday” —the online threat now deleted from bulletin board 4chan.
### ODT Online Wed, 7 Oct 2015
Warning to stay alert after uni threat
By Carla Green
Dunedin police are continuing their investigation into an online shooting threat made against the University of Otago. […] Acting Area Commander Inspector Mel Aitken said police would maintain a visible presence in the university area, and a number of contingencies would remain in place. People on the university grounds should remain vigilant and alert, she said, and any suspicious activity should be reported.
Read more
OUSA would be posting the messages on its Facebook page, and the university would also be communicating via social media and the student email network.
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[this morning]
### ODT Online Wed, 7 Oct 2015
Students on edge after Uni shooting threat
By Carla Green
Several University of Otago eateries will not open today and the central library computer lab is largely empty as the campus responds to a shooting threat made online. Several students spoke of being on edge on campus this morning after the threat was posted by an anonymous social media user on bulletin board 4chan just before midnight on Monday.
Read more
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[yesterday]
### ODT Online Tue, 6 Oct 2015
Shooting threat at Otago University
By Timothy Brown
Specialist police are investigating an online threat to carry out a shooting at University of Otago in Dunedin tomorrow and have moved to reassure the public, saying “appropriate measures” are being taken. Acting Otago coastal area commander Inspector Mel Aitken confirmed late this afternoon that staff from the High Tech Crime Group in Wellington are investigating the anonymous threat.
Read more
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### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 13:08, October 7 2015
Wellington’s Victoria University is being evacuated over bomb scare
By Talia Shadwell
Part of Victoria University in Wellington are being evacuated after a note was found claiming three bombs would explode on campus by lunchtime. Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford said a staff member had found the note about 9.30am by the lifts in the Murphy building on the Kelburn campus. It stated that three bombs were hidden somewhere on campus and would go off by midday. The note was short and offered no explanation or motive for the bombing, he said.
Read more
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### Stuff.co.nz Last updated 16:51, October 7 2015
Massey University evacuated after threatening note
By Kelsey Wilkie
Massey University has become the third university to receive a threatening message. The campus has evacuated its registry building in Palmerston North after it received a threatening note aimed at staff on Wednesday afternoon. “We have received a note threatening the staff in our Contact Centre on our Manawatu campus and have evacuated everyone from our Registry Building as a precaution,” Vice-Chancellor Steve Maharey said. “We are aware there have been threats made against Otago University and Victoria University over the past two days. So far those threats have come to nothing but, at this stage, keeping our students safe is our key priority,” Maharey said.
Read more
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Posted by Elizabeth Kerr
What if? Dunedin... 
So now we have a situation where students and teaching staff at Wellington and Dunedin are afraid to go to be educated.
The value of the sole exposure to the Otago University as a source of ratepayers, income for restaurants, bars and services has now been brought into sharp focus.
Don’t worry about the effect of an actual bomb or gunman.
A throwaway line from an anonymous internet user or an unsigned note can stop these organisations from pursuing their supposed business and its potential expansion.
The only way forward is for Dunedin to encourage a basket of industries, manufacturing, perhaps IT pursuing the Gigatown dream, tourism, encouraging emigrants to settle here and other as yet undetermined business strategies.
The pursuit of developing Dunedin as a University city only, has just had a large hole bigger than a busload of terrorists blown through it by the old adage.
“The pen is mightier than the sword.”
And despite spying on us the GCSB is a complete waste of space and money for New Zealanders because whilst it may be able to have Dotcom extradited for robbing the US filmmakers, it cannot protect us from a line on the internet.
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{Link: http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/358443/we-start-here-day-one-gig-city -Eds}
Monocultures are crocks. They’re like pole houses. It’s not sensible to use only 1 pole, no matter how reassuring the architect/economist/consultant is about their long-term stability.
### dunedintv.co.nz Wed, 7 Oct 2015
University students steer clear of campus
University of Otago students have been steering clear of campus, following an online threat. The origin and authenticity of the mass shooting threat earlier this week is still being investigated by police. But an increased police presence doesn’t seem to be enough reassurance for some.
Ch39 Link
39 Dunedin Television Published on Oct 6, 2015
University students steer clear of campus
### ODT Online Thu, 8 Oct 2015
‘Good chance’ of tracing threat
By Damian George
Police stand “a good chance” of catching the person responsible for an online shooting threat at the University of Otago yesterday, an associate professor in information science says. Police said they were “following a number of lines of inquiry” as they tried to track down the person responsible for the threat, posted by an anonymous social media user on bulletin board 4chan just before midnight on Monday.
Read more
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### ODT Online Thu, 8 Oct 2015
Editorial: Spreading fear and loathing
OPINION No-one was sure if it was an empty threat, but the University of Otago campus was unusually quiet yesterday after an anonymous online gun warning. […] The Otago incident has highlighted once again the power of social media – and how it can be used for ill: to spread fear, hatred and panic, and how easy it is to do that anonymously, with little fear of recrimination.
Read more
Hate to say but police aren’t organised enough to deal with this type crime [threat]. Unless the public provide a direct lead the University of Otago is not defended. Welcome to the modern campus here in New Zealand, and globally. The current systems can’t deal with it – the hierarchy of the university/education provider and that of the police are clueless. ‘Ivy’ reputation doesn’t stop threats or give comfort to international or domestic students and university staff, or their families. Welcome to the land of sitting ducks (congregational learning) – and the increasing reliance on costly vigilance, architectural safety design, security systems, scanners and IT. There are other options for learning street sense….
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### ODT Online Tue, 13 Oct 2015
Still investigating shooting threat
By Timothy Brown
Police are yet to establish the source or authenticity of a shooting threat made against the University of Otago. Police were “still following a number of lines of inquiry” in relation to the threat which was anonymously posted on the online bulletin board 4chan last week, a Southern police spokesman said yesterday.
Read more
█ Anyone with information that can help should contact Dunedin police on 471-4800.
█ Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555-11.
One could say that since nobody actually got shot last week, the threat was not authentic.
Correct – the crime (the threat to individuals and the institution – not the lack of shooting!) was largely an economic one: lost turnover / lost time / unnecessary use of resources – with a strong whiff of malice/distorted humour/psychosis/stupidity/whatever.
But there are TWO threats – 1) actually going there and shooting people and 2) threatening to shoot people. Since you don’t know which is which, you have to take both seriously and BOTH inspire fear and cause great disruption. And 2) is a lot easier to do, quite often, and not get caught.
### ODT Online Tue, 20 Oct 2015
Uni staff to pay for gun threat absence
By Carla Green
University of Otago staff who avoided campus on the day of the recent gun threat will pay for their caution with a day of annual leave. The Tertiary Education Union has condemned the move.
Read more
█ Widespread media coverage and condemnation of University’s actions.
### ODT Online Thu, 22 Oct 2015
Staff given choice over gun threat absence
By Carla Green
The University of Otago has changed its mind about docking a day’s annual leave from staff who avoided the campus during the recent gun threat. They have now been given the choice of losing a day’s pay or forfeiting a day’s leave.
Read more
Tue, 15 Nov 2016
Campus emergency response to be tested
Armed police and paramedics will descend on the University of Otago’s Dunedin campus today. The normally calm campus atmosphere will be replaced by the sound of simulated gunshots and shouting as 128 people participate in a live shooter and hostage emergency exercise. University of Otago deputy proctor Andrew Ferguson said the exercise was not a direct response to a shooting threat on campus made on the online forum “4Chan” last year. However, the institution was aware it was “not immune” to such incidents and it was important to test response procedures. Cont/
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Douglas Field Published on Nov 15, 2016
Go Get em
This sketch is a gentle jibe at what is patently a boy’s war game – the sort of thing we played at – well aged 12? You might remember William and Henry and Douglas – not forgetting Ginger. They were good at this, about that age. Of course there will be the usual protests. But seriously what else? Anyway I hope that they all got their bit of fun.
Harls fails again link
ODT 2.11.15 (page 6)
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Received from Anonymous
Mon, 2 Nov 2015 at 11:34 a.m.
ODT print letter from John Schofield re safety, compare & contrast staff penalty for absence on firearms threat day with safety concerns about Commerce Bldg floor.
Harls reply includes “…it is our staff’s collective duty to exercise a duty of care towards … students….”
Duty of fucking care indeed! Fucking duty of fucking care, I fume! That floor was as dangerous as wobbly masonry atop buildings anywhere there’s not vast pedestrian traffic – more so considering the numbers of people on either site at any time and the probability of anyone being injured. I’m sure the maths & stats people could come up with figures. But university’s duty of care was only to their precious floor, not humans injured. Jeeeezus the hypocrisy.
Fume fume fume, this is a bad way to start the week!
[ends]
Is she worth half a million plus digs in a mansion? We truly live in an odd society.
“Goodness, what lovely diamonds. Goodness had nothing to do with it, dearie.” Mae West.
“Is she worth half a million plus digs in a mansion?”
Calvin, worth has nothing to do with it.