4 ms·

Unless you're a South American drug lord, I don't think that's how security guards work. You don't get to just shoot wildly at anyone approaching, unless you're

by jschuur 14y ago

Unless you're a South American drug lord, I don't think that's how security guards work. You don't get to just shoot wildly at anyone approaching, unless you're being shot at. If Kim had trigger happy guards like that, that alone would seem a little suspicious. Who was he afraid of? For that matter, this is a pretty paranoid panic button setup: “I was on my bed, once the banging started, I pressed an alarm button that is situated right at my bed which was installed in case of an emergency. When I press that it automatically sends a signal to all security guards including Mr [Wayne] Tempero’s room including SMSs to everybody informing them there is an alert. Perhaps that's just standard operating procedure for a multi-millionaire. Full story in text: http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-What-really-happened-in-the-Dotcom-raid/tabid/817/articleID/264651/Default.aspx#ixzz22wnfnuMl http://www.3news.co.nz/VIDEO-What-really-happened-in-the-Dot...

knowtheory 14y ago
I mean... is it really that paranoid? Would it have been much different if instead of a button, it was an intercom system, and Dotcom queried his staff as to what the banging noise was? In one way it does seem comically super-villain-esque, but then, i wouldn't say that Dotcom's impulses were anything more dramatic than anyone hearing unusual noises in their home. It's just, most of us don't have a staff to query, or a saferoom to evacuate to.
- jschuur 14y ago
  No less paranoid than moving to New Zealand?
  - redthrowaway 14y ago
    What's paranoid about moving to NZ?
  - flog 14y ago
    Ha. As a NZer I'm not quite sure how to take that. It's pretty much sheep, some locals, and copyright infringers down that way. Having a gun for protection in NZ is unusual. That said, he's reached a station in life where some hired professional protection for himself and his family seems relatively sane.
cskau 14y ago
> If Kim had trigger happy guards like that, that alone would seem a little suspicious. Who was he afraid of? Afraid of exactly this scenario where one early morning, heavily armed men were storming his home where his wife and kids were? I'd have been terrified.
derda 14y ago
Alarm-Buttons and panic rooms are not so uncommon and often installed in houses of much-more low-key persons then Kim Schmitz. A family friend purchased a house (not a mansion, just a bigger house in a suburban neighborhood) here in germany that was formally owned by a CEO of a mid-sized tech company. And there is a panic button in every room, as well as a hidden room. Why should such a system be uncommon in, from what I remember, the biggest mansion in NZ? I guess it was already there when he bought the place.
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
  To be fair, his actual name is Kim Dotcom, as ridiculous as that is.
  - astrodust 14y ago
    I suspect he might change it again to spite his American tormentors. We might see "Kim LOL USA SUX" or "Kim Vote-Pirate-Party" in the news.
    - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
      Kim Nohollywood? Kim Unamerican?
petercooper 14y ago
If your wealth is ostentatious and/or you believe you own enough assets to target thieves, I suspect it's not very paranoid at all. For a normal everyday joe, probably. But while things like this happen, it seems sane if you have the money: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184641/Waterboarded-gang-robbers-7m-home-Masked-intruders-torture-grandmother-73-hours-make-open-safe.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184641/Waterboarded...
mistermann 14y ago
> this is a pretty paranoid panic button setup It is not terribly uncommon for agents of the US government to forcibly enter homes and kill the residents, often under mistaken circumstances. And as this story shows, their reach is extremely broad. So, I certainly wouldn't classify it as paranoid, in this day and age it seems like common sense.
mtgx 14y ago
I've just read a story recently about an American shooting a sales agent for "tresspassing"...so yeah.
alan_cx 14y ago
This woman might have benefited from such arrangements: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-19160222 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-19160222

by jschuur 14y ago

knowtheory 14y ago

I mean... is it really that paranoid? Would it have been much different if instead of a button, it was an intercom system, and Dotcom queried his staff as to what the banging noise was? In one way it does seem comically super-villain-esque, but then, i wouldn't say that Dotcom's impulses were anything more dramatic than anyone hearing unusual noises in their home. It's just, most of us don't have a staff to query, or a saferoom to evacuate to.

jschuur 14y ago
No less paranoid than moving to New Zealand?
- redthrowaway 14y ago
  What's paranoid about moving to NZ?
- flog 14y ago
  Ha. As a NZer I'm not quite sure how to take that. It's pretty much sheep, some locals, and copyright infringers down that way. Having a gun for protection in NZ is unusual. That said, he's reached a station in life where some hired professional protection for himself and his family seems relatively sane.

cskau 14y ago

> If Kim had trigger happy guards like that, that alone would seem a little suspicious. Who was he afraid of? Afraid of exactly this scenario where one early morning, heavily armed men were storming his home where his wife and kids were? I'd have been terrified.

derda 14y ago

Alarm-Buttons and panic rooms are not so uncommon and often installed in houses of much-more low-key persons then Kim Schmitz. A family friend purchased a house (not a mansion, just a bigger house in a suburban neighborhood) here in germany that was formally owned by a CEO of a mid-sized tech company. And there is a panic button in every room, as well as a hidden room. Why should such a system be uncommon in, from what I remember, the biggest mansion in NZ? I guess it was already there when he bought the place.

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
To be fair, his actual name is Kim Dotcom, as ridiculous as that is.
- astrodust 14y ago
  I suspect he might change it again to spite his American tormentors. We might see "Kim LOL USA SUX" or "Kim Vote-Pirate-Party" in the news.
  - TazeTSchnitzel 14y ago
    Kim Nohollywood? Kim Unamerican?

petercooper 14y ago

If your wealth is ostentatious and/or you believe you own enough assets to target thieves, I suspect it's not very paranoid at all. For a normal everyday joe, probably. But while things like this happen, it seems sane if you have the money: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184641/Waterboarded-gang-robbers-7m-home-Masked-intruders-torture-grandmother-73-hours-make-open-safe.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184641/Waterboarded...

mistermann 14y ago

> this is a pretty paranoid panic button setup It is not terribly uncommon for agents of the US government to forcibly enter homes and kill the residents, often under mistaken circumstances. And as this story shows, their reach is extremely broad. So, I certainly wouldn't classify it as paranoid, in this day and age it seems like common sense.

mtgx 14y ago

I've just read a story recently about an American shooting a sales agent for "tresspassing"...so yeah.

alan_cx 14y ago

This woman might have benefited from such arrangements: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-19160222 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-19160222