The Dartmouth: Bored at Baker stirs controversy

Shared from The Dartmouth:

In the midst of national controversy about privacy and government surveillance, Bored at Baker users' anonymity has been called into question following the revelation that the author of the June 5 Commencement bomb threat was a Dartmouth student. Although campus has yet to receive further information about the investigation of the threat, the finding has spurred many students to reflect on the values of anonymity, security and Bored at Baker's impact on campus.

The threat, which Safety and Security reported to campus the day it was posted, warned that "dirty bombs" would explode if Real Talk Dartmouth members protested at Commencement. At the time, Safety and Security wrote that it was acting out of caution and had "reason to believe the threat is not credible."

Callista Womick '13, who described herself as a casual user of Bored at Baker, said that few people on campus were worried, especially because the author of the post quickly wrote a reply to say the threat was not serious. While some students who did not use the site were "freaked out," Womick said that most were aware of the often exaggerated nature of Bored at Baker posts.