What Do You Think About ANONYMOUS?

[Renegade]

I'm curious about how others view Anonymous^w.

http://www.whyweprotest.net/en/

Stand for freedom. Stand with Anonymous
To tyrants, the downtrodden are nameless.

Since its inception, the internet has provided new ways for people all over the world to exercise the rights of free speech, freedom of the press and freedom of assembly. These rights are not simply the benefits of a free society--they are the very means of preserving that society's freedom. The recent increase in government interference with these freedoms coincides with the failure of the corporate media to fulfill their vital role in checking the abuse of authority. Censorship and journalistic abdication have left citizens unaware and unable to hold their governments accountable.

WikiLeaks has moved to fill the void left by traditional news media, providing the necessary information for citizens to hold their governments to account. Yet it has not been granted the legal protections generally afforded to journalists. Instead, the organization has been vilified and monetary support has been blocked by governments and private corporations. The vitriol aimed at WikiLeaks demonstrates an unsettling disregard for the fundamental freedom to exchange information and express ideas. Members of a free society must not allow information to be suppressed simply because it inconveniences those in power. We share the responsibility to defend vital liberties. The time to act is now.

We are Anonymous, a leaderless movement that has worked tirelessly to oppose all forms of Internet censorship worldwide, from DMCA abuses to government mandated content filters. Our initiatives include supporting dissenting groups in Iran, Zimbabwe and Tunisia, as well as waging the highly visible information battle against the Church of Scientology. We are now prepared to take the fight to the world stage. Join us on January 15th for the first in a series of global protests in defense of WikiLeaks and freedom of expression. Stand with us to defend your freedoms.

We Are Anonymous And So Are You

I've got to say, I like that they are building awareness.

[40hz]

I'm curious to see what form their "series of global protests" will take.

[Renegade]

I'm curious to see what form their "series of global protests" will take.

-40hz (January 15, 2011, 08:37 AM)

They seem to be more about actual protests there than DDOS. But we'll see.

[40hz]

Yes. We'll see.   

[4wd]

I'm curious to see what form their "series of global protests" will take.

-40hz (January 15, 2011, 08:37 AM)

They seem to be more about actual protests there than DDOS. But we'll see.

-Renegade (January 15, 2011, 08:50 AM)

If you look at their events archive, the highest number of attendees at an event to date was in Bucharest.

Total: 9

Possibly the map seeming to be the USA led to low attendance figures?

[Eóin]

I liked their Scientology protests. Seen them in Dublin and thought it was quite funny. Of course there were never more that 4 or 5 there

All in all though, it's a pretty ill defined group of mostly just bored teenagers, I wouldn't trust them to change the world for the better.

[app103]

Funny thing about Anonymous...it's not an organization, it has no leaders, and there are no rules. Anyone can be Anonymous. All you have to do is stand up for whatever it is that you believe in, in any way you choose, anonymously...and call yourself Anonymous.

Is it a hacker group? No, but there are hackers that call themselves Anonymous.
Is it a terrorist group? No, but there are terrorists that call themselves Anonymous.
Is it just a bunch of kids? No, there are also adults that call themselves Anonymous.

It's just a concept.

I wouldn't trust them to change the world for the better.

-Eóin (January 15, 2011, 10:46 AM)

It's not a "them"...it's a "we" whenever you act as Anonymous. Therefore, they can change the world if YOU decide to change the world, anonymously. If you can't trust them then you can't trust anyone...and maybe you are right...but maybe you are also wrong.

It's just a concept.

I'm curious to see what form their "series of global protests" will take.

-40hz (January 15, 2011, 08:37 AM)

You can decide what form it takes. You don't have to wait and see.

Personally, I stand up for what I believe in with my name, face, and reputation. I choose not to act anonymously. But the idea that one could just do nothing, out of fear of personal repercussions for upsetting the status quo, but they could also act anonymously if it gave them the courage they needed to stand up a lot more safely, does appeal to me. The idea is to stand up and do something, anonymously if you have to, but do something.

[Eóin]

Ah they are a bit more coherent than that though. They organise themselves through the internet, mostly through imageboards like 4chan. Sure lots of activists can call themselves Anonymous, but it's only when large group of a popular imageboards deziens gets behind a cause, can those supporting the cause honestly say they are acting as part of Anonymous.

[app103]

Ah they are a bit more coherent than that though. They organise themselves through the internet, mostly through imageboards like 4chan. Sure lots of activists can call themselves Anonymous, but it's only when large group of a popular imageboards deziens gets behind a cause, can those supporting the cause honestly say they are acting as part of Anonymous.

-Eóin (January 15, 2011, 12:27 PM)

That's not entirely true. That may have been where it started, but the idea was intended to spread beyond that and involve the general population. Anyone can call themselves Anonymous and honestly say they are acting as part of it. That's the point.

[Eóin]

I not sure it was intended to spread beyond that. The name for example is just an in joke, it was coined by Fox News during the ludicrously sensationalized special report on cyber bullying, and was adopted for ironic humor. Fox News got it from the fact that people's username defaults to Anonymous on the various image boards.

You'll also see plenty of people online claiming Anonymous has lost it's way specifically because it is being used a a moniker by people who don't knows its roots, or its motivations.

In all honesty, Why We Protest isn't Anonymous, perhaps the best summary can by found on the Encyclopedia Dramatica article, but I'll refrain from posting the link given this sites extreme NSFW rating and it being a general source of hatred and bigotry. Nonetheless this picture from it sums up Anonymous pretty darn well -

What Do You Think About ANONYMOUS?

[app103]

I think these 2 videos best explain it.

Who is Anonymous?

Who is Anonymous - The abridged version [NSFW]

http://www.youtube.c.../watch?v=K-wlYUOgX-4

[Eóin]

Expect they don't, because he's wrong... and well joking too.

Normally I'm not one for caring when one group subverts a name and claims it as their own. But it'd help in this case to at least know the immaturity, racism, bigotry and general hatred that Anonymous first stood, and stills stands for, before they claim to be a part of it.

To carefully quote encyclopedia dramatica - "Moralf**s are *chan posters: newf**s, who want to harness the power of Anonymous towards good works in place of lulz and the continuous accumulation of Japanese pornography."

This above videos would be considered to be the work of such a Moralf** were they serious.

[40hz]

Dunno. To my way of thinking, Anonymous seems to want their cake and eat it too.  "Let's be revolutionaries - but not stick our necks out too far in the process."

Might work if the world were as virtual as some people wish it were.

FWIW I have yet to learn of any revolution or seismIc social change that took place without a clearly named individual being identified with the cause and leading it. People follow another person into battle. The cause may generate the buzz that sets the stage and bring about a critical mass.  But AFAIK it always an individual that serves as the catalyst for action. So whether it's Alexander, Khan, Buddah, Christ, Spartacus, George Washington, Ayotollah Kohmeni, Gorbechev - or even Stalin or Hitler - people look for names to follow. And truth be told, for someone willing to serve as a human sacrifice should push truly come to shove. (Note: it usually does.)

To succeed, every revolution needs its hero - and often its martyrs.

Maybe the Facebook generation will operate differently from the rest of human history when it comes to this. Perhaps this will be a turning point - the first revolution by anonymous proxy.

But I'll hold off on sending champagne and flowers for now.  

[Deozaan]

But I'll hold off on sending champagne and flowers for now.

-40hz (January 15, 2011, 04:31 PM)

Not like you'd know who to send them to anyway.

[Bamse]

Disturbing the peace as in annoying whatever comfortable status quo can be a good thing.

What they are doing is not always legal so not sticking head up is probably a very healthy decision. Authorities do not accept this way of fighting so there are no fight! They are terrorists or underground freedom fighters. They don't even have a cause to build any revolution on, a bit of a manifesto but where is the next battlefield? next connection between their ideas and whatever target will be?  Much seem undefined and random, they don't seem very revolutionary to me.

I cant see how they can feed a virtual attack force by setting up a few sites. If they use those sites for anything it is probably to select those with useful skills or other attributes they can use. I am sure there is a "they" but speculation of course. If any idiot could be part of exiting/illegal events not much would be secret or anonymous for long. I don't expect cyber police to be so dumb they cannot hunt down stupid. So I think they are well organized, will put money on few members with access to resources rather than a little army of 4chan tossers.