I told you so.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Paper Progress- I'm done with page 7 and editing pages 1-5!
Here's my edited version of two sections.
4chan- the Cradle of Internet Civilization
Anonymous began in the early '00s in the dark recesses of the Internet, primarily an informal group formed around “trolling” and other childish pastimes. The image board 4chan, from which Anonymous is likely to have originated, allows its users to post with near-complete anonymity, resulting in both very offensive material and complete creativity. 4Chan is rated by Alexa, an Internet information collector, as 939th in the world for traffic, and 508th in the United States1, with the 18-24 year old age demographic and the male demographic both “greatly over-represented” relative to the greater Internet population2. 38.8% of visitors are from the United States3. 4Chan, a “simple image-based bulletin board where anyone can post comments and share images4,” has a fast turnover rate; each board has a set limit for amount of threads, and each thread a set limit for number of posts; therefore, entire threads can disappear within hours5. This prompts a fast-acting and creative community in most sections of the site; indeed, it is a breeding ground for many Internet memes6 that have become popular in the past couple years, from LOLcats to Rick Rolling. 4Chan's popularity may result from its userbase and innovative- if oftentimes inappropriate- community, but it is also just as likely that part of the forum's allure comes from its entirely anonymous posting system. Not only do all posts automatically use the name “anonymous” when submitted- never forcing anybody to register or create a username to post- but also the 4chan servers only store user information and IP addresses as long as their post continues to exist7. This anonymous system, paired with 4chan's short-lived retention of most posts on popular boards, serves to allow not only all kinds of information to be spread on the forums, but also allows for all kinds of people to communicate and exchange ideas. Christopher Poole, the site's creator, said in a 2010 interview that 4chan allows people “to be completely anonymous and say whatever you'd like....I think it's important to have these places8.” Certainly, the 4chan community is powerful. Besides creating an online community to “say whatever you'd like,” the denizens of the board have become a powerful force in the real world, too.
The early days of organization on 4chan were essentially harmless; true organization was few and far-between, often for the sole purpose of “lulz.” Several incidences of bullying on Myspace and Facebook demonstrate this, as well as the more positive story of Dusty the Cat. Though much blame of 4chan members for online bullying can be unsubstantiated, it is very likely that many 4chan “trolls” do participate in this kind of bullying, as many aggressive comments on blogs, Myspace, and Facebook pages are described as being “for the lulz.” In one editorial, an anonymous “ex-troll” interviewee gives this kind of trolling a perfect definition: “'Lulz is watching someone lose their mind at their computer 2,000 miles away while you chat with friends and laugh9.” This working definition shows the darker underside of the denizens of 4chan- they can be cruel and amoral, with near-total disdain for everybody else. However, this is not the only face of 4chan's userbase. Indeed, these “trolls” showed a capacity for absolute and definitive compassion with the story of the rescue of “Dusty” the cat. On February 5th, 2009, a 14-year old from Oklahoma named Kenny Glenn posted a video on Youtube of himself abusing his cat, repeatedly throwing it against a wall while laughing10. When a member of 4chan posted it on the boards, outrage mobilized the so-called “Internet hate machine11.” Unlike their usual “trolling” escapades, the members of 4chan banded together to save this cat, and, within 48 hours, they did. They found Glenn's name, address, phone number, and personal details, and contacted the police12. Though Glenn was not punished for his despicable actions, both cats in his home were removed and placed in new homes13. These two events- selected out of many early mobilizations- both demonstrate the immense power of the Internet denizens populating 4chan. Not only can they use their words to bully and torment others in the virtual world, but they can also strongly influence real-world events. “Dusty”'s rescue was only a precursor to the juggernaut that Anonymous was to become.
Project Chanology
Project Chanology was the earliest “IRL14” protest specifically organized by members of the early Anonymous organization. On January 14, 2008, a Youtube video displaying a “manic-looking15” Tom Cruise extolling the virtues of Scientology garnered laughs and scorn concerning the cult-like religion. When Youtube took down the video in response to litigation threats by the Church of Scientology, people across the Internet were shocked and, apparently, angry. What started out as “lulz” at the expense of Cruise's strange behavior became an expansive movement. Soon after the video's removal, Anonymous mounted a DdoS, or distributed denial of service16, attack upon the Church of Scientology's website17, temporarily taking it down. Members also attacked the organization in other ways, via phone calls, faxes of completely blacked-out paper (to drain ink reserves), and Google bombing18.
But, unlike many Internet fads, this organized attack on Scientology did not go away. Instead, members of the Chanology movement created several websites and began protesting outside the safe realm of their homes. After taking to the streets, these protesters soon realized that in order to evade Scientology's “fair game” policy- the cult's policy that calls for “utter destruction” of critics by means of litigation and harassment19- they would have to conceal their identities. The most prominent website connected with Project Chanology, Why We Protest, claims that the reason members of Anonymous wear masks is not, perhaps, in the desire for general anonymity, or even to threaten its opponents, but instead rooted in the group's history of battling Scientology. The Guy Fawkes mask, now a symbol of Anonymous as an entity, began simply as a way to prevent litigious persecution while peacefully protesting an organization they believed to be “a cult that financially defrauds and abuses its members20.”
Though Project Chanology is no longer a central focus to many Anonymous members, it remains a cause that draws protesters at monthly demonstrations, and Why We Protest is still well-used and often updated, and has expanded its support to the protests surrounding freedom of information that have sprung up more recently.
1 Alexa, the Web Information Company, "Statistics Summary for 4chan.org." Accessed March 13, 2012. http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/4chan.org.
2IBID
3IBID.
5 Poole, Christopher. TED, "Christopher "moot" Poole- The Case for Anonymity online." Last modified June 2010. Accessed March 13, 2012.
6Pictures with captions, often with certain connotation; many become Internet phenomenons, perforating blogs, boards, and many times even tee shirts; for example, the “Coolface” meme, which is used often by Internet trolls and pranksters.
7(Poole, “4chan FAQ”)
8 Poole, Christopher. TED, "Christopher "moot" Poole- The Case for Anonymity online." Last modified June 2010. Accessed March 13, 2012.
10 Glenn, Kenny. Operation Dustyce, "Kenny Glenn Abuses Dusty." Last modified 02/15/2009. Accessed March 14, 2012. www.kenny-glenn.net.
12After, of course, ordering pizzas and magazine subscriptions to his house.
13 Operation Dustyce, "Kenny (Christpher) Glenn- Cat Abuser." Last modified 01/12/2010. Accessed March 14, 2012. www.kenny-glenn.net.
14Acronym meaning “In real life.”
16Not exactly hacking, rather uses a program across many computers to repeatedly request large amounts of information from a website, thereby overloading its servers and inhibiting its function.
17 Richards, Jonathan. "Hackers Declare War on Scientology."London Times, as reprinted by Fox News. (2008).
18Usage of search engines to link a term, such as “Scientology,” to other negative words, such as “cult.”
Richards, Jonathan. "Hackers Declare War on Scientology."London Times, as reprinted by Fox News. (2008).
19 Why We Protest, "Anonymous vs Scientology." Accessed March 14, 2012. https://whyweprotest.net/anonymous-scientology/.
20IBID.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Tentative Introductory Paragraph
Introduction: Define “Anonymous.”
The creation and worldwide implementation of the Internet in the past two decades has given rise to impressive amounts of information exchange. From music, to speeches, to videos, to ideas, the accessibility of opinions, information and resources has increased tenfold. Blogs, forums, chat rooms, social networking and a plethora of other sites are available with the click of a button; though some fear this mass proliferation and sharing of files and ideas is just noise in an increasingly vocal environment, others believe that the Internet is the key to a brave new world. Among these digital Quixotes are Anonymous, the nebulous organization that has popularized hacktivism, which is defined by TIME magazine as the usage of “invasive tech skills to advance a cause and leak information1.” As one of the most high-profile hacktivist organizations in the modern world, Anonymous raises many questions. Who are they? What do they want? How do they organize? These questions are not easily answered. By analyzing Anonymous' recent actions and propaganda, one can begin to form a picture of who Anonymous are and what they are becoming. From its inception as a loosely-built nebula of dissenters to its formation into a strong and frightening Internet juggernaut, Anonymous has changed its goals from “for the lulz2” to a more cohesive and organized objective; that of reforming the society that precipitated its creation.
1 Steinmetz and Townsend.
2LULZ- a bastardization of “lol,” which is an acronym for “laughing out loud.” Often used in the context of schadenfreude.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Christopher "m00t" Poole- TEDtalk
Analysis: TEDtalk -moot (Christopher Poole)
http://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_m00t_poole_the_case_for_anonymity_online.html
This is a TEDtalk by Christopher Poole, aka m00t, who founded the 4chan imageboard, which was the springboard for the birth of Anonymous as a digital entity. Poole explains how the board is formatted, and then continues on to describe and support his belief in Internet anonymity.
First, Poole summarizes some of the activities that occur on 4chan, from the inception of LOLcats to Rickrolling and the so-called Rules of the Internet, which are each things that members of Anonymous regularly refer to when not organizing the destruction of society. What interests me most is some of the non-protesting activity that Anonymous and/or the members of 4chan took part in. First, they organized to elect m00t to the top of the TIME 100 Most Influential People, and succeeded, not only doing that, but also arranged the letters of the next twenty candidates into the acrostic “Marblecake also the game.” Marblecake is a reference to the IRC board Anonymous used to organize Operation Chanology, or otherwise an obscene phrase; “The Game” is a reference to a supposed game with obscure rules that 4chan also originated. This indicates a level of organization online for childish pranks that is much more sophisticated than many other pursuits, and shows Anonymous’ early power as a group. Finally, Moot covers the story of “Dusty” the cat. Poole, saying “they put CSI to shame,” says that members of his board managed to get a man arrested for animal abuse within 48 hours of his putting up a video online of himself abusing his cat, saving the cat and sending him to jail. In the ensuing interview, Poole admits that “there is plenty of bad” that comes from an anonymous online community, but that “the greater good is being served here by just allowing people....to be completely anonymous...saying whatever you like, I think, is powerful.”
Poole’s presentation is particularly compelling because it offers an insight into ground zero of Anonymous’ creation. Not only does he completely support online anonymity, but also, at the time of the presentation, he supported the power of anonymity. He creates a compelling and interesting argument for the allowance of lesser transparency in the digital sphere, showing the viewpoint of a supporter of Anonymous’ creed.
http://www.ted.com/talks/christopher_m00t_poole_the_case_for_anonymity_online.html
This is a TEDtalk by Christopher Poole, aka m00t, who founded the 4chan imageboard, which was the springboard for the birth of Anonymous as a digital entity. Poole explains how the board is formatted, and then continues on to describe and support his belief in Internet anonymity.
First, Poole summarizes some of the activities that occur on 4chan, from the inception of LOLcats to Rickrolling and the so-called Rules of the Internet, which are each things that members of Anonymous regularly refer to when not organizing the destruction of society. What interests me most is some of the non-protesting activity that Anonymous and/or the members of 4chan took part in. First, they organized to elect m00t to the top of the TIME 100 Most Influential People, and succeeded, not only doing that, but also arranged the letters of the next twenty candidates into the acrostic “Marblecake also the game.” Marblecake is a reference to the IRC board Anonymous used to organize Operation Chanology, or otherwise an obscene phrase; “The Game” is a reference to a supposed game with obscure rules that 4chan also originated. This indicates a level of organization online for childish pranks that is much more sophisticated than many other pursuits, and shows Anonymous’ early power as a group. Finally, Moot covers the story of “Dusty” the cat. Poole, saying “they put CSI to shame,” says that members of his board managed to get a man arrested for animal abuse within 48 hours of his putting up a video online of himself abusing his cat, saving the cat and sending him to jail. In the ensuing interview, Poole admits that “there is plenty of bad” that comes from an anonymous online community, but that “the greater good is being served here by just allowing people....to be completely anonymous...saying whatever you like, I think, is powerful.”
Poole’s presentation is particularly compelling because it offers an insight into ground zero of Anonymous’ creation. Not only does he completely support online anonymity, but also, at the time of the presentation, he supported the power of anonymity. He creates a compelling and interesting argument for the allowance of lesser transparency in the digital sphere, showing the viewpoint of a supporter of Anonymous’ creed.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Document Analysis: NPR article
Neuman, Scott. "Anonymous Comes Out In The Open."NPR.org. (2011). http://www.npr.org/2011/09/16/140539560/anonymous-comes-out-in-the-open (accessed March 5, 2012).
This article, dated September 16, 2011, came out before the events in late December through this winter. However, it paints a decent portrait of who and what Anonymous is.
Terming Anonymous a “cyberguerrilla group-” a turn of phrase that better describes Anonymous as I know it than any other, the article describes the group’s aim in encouraging its members to join the Occupy Wall Street movement to protest corruption in corporations, banks and governments. The article goes on to explain that, despite the fact that the Occupy movement has given them more visibility, it is certainly not the first time Anonymous has come out “IRL” to protest a cause; it also delineates that much of Anonymous’ activity subsists over the Internet. Covering the arrests of suspected Anonymous members, splinter groups like LulzSec, the article continues on to describe the general age range of the people involved- mainly in the 20s-30s range, but with a few “grandfathers” in their 60’s. Gabriella Coleman, who is writing a book on the subject, describes the group as “diverse” and united by a desire for freedom.
Neuman approaches this subject delicately, showing a neutrality that is not often present in articles on Anonymous. It is not overtly fearmongering, though he calls them a “cyberguerrilla group,” and in fact seems, at points, optimistic about Anonymous’ existence, comparing and contrasting the group to the protest movements of the ‘60s. All in all, it should be very useful for my paper; the interviews with the experts on Anonymous being particularly so.Furthermore, the timeline of Anonymous' existence is very useful.
This article, dated September 16, 2011, came out before the events in late December through this winter. However, it paints a decent portrait of who and what Anonymous is.
Terming Anonymous a “cyberguerrilla group-” a turn of phrase that better describes Anonymous as I know it than any other, the article describes the group’s aim in encouraging its members to join the Occupy Wall Street movement to protest corruption in corporations, banks and governments. The article goes on to explain that, despite the fact that the Occupy movement has given them more visibility, it is certainly not the first time Anonymous has come out “IRL” to protest a cause; it also delineates that much of Anonymous’ activity subsists over the Internet. Covering the arrests of suspected Anonymous members, splinter groups like LulzSec, the article continues on to describe the general age range of the people involved- mainly in the 20s-30s range, but with a few “grandfathers” in their 60’s. Gabriella Coleman, who is writing a book on the subject, describes the group as “diverse” and united by a desire for freedom.
Neuman approaches this subject delicately, showing a neutrality that is not often present in articles on Anonymous. It is not overtly fearmongering, though he calls them a “cyberguerrilla group,” and in fact seems, at points, optimistic about Anonymous’ existence, comparing and contrasting the group to the protest movements of the ‘60s. All in all, it should be very useful for my paper; the interviews with the experts on Anonymous being particularly so.Furthermore, the timeline of Anonymous' existence is very useful.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Document Analysis: CNN clip on Anonymous, 1/11/2012
The clip is listed in my bibliography in the previous post.
This video clip, dated 1/11/2012, focuses on the recent actions and the motivations of Anonymous, utilizing clips from web videos and an interview with a self-professed member to illustrate its point. Though it is mainly meant to be an informational piece, there is a decidedly pro-Anonymous bias to it that rarely appears in mainstream media. Rather than taking a completely pro-government side, the CNN clip instead takes the Anonymous perspective.
The opening clip of police officers firing into a crowd, followed by the newscaster’s solemn comment, “It’s a dark and disturbing vision” serve to set the scene with a grim tone. This is followed by a description of Anonymous’ view, that the government has become altogether too powerful and violent, with police brutality and corruption is merely a symptom of the overarching governmental conspiracy. Open to a geeky-looking man with a Guy Fawkes mask who calls himself “Troy,” who they met at an Occupy Wall Street camp. This is where the interesting part begins. He describes the Anonymous organization as “like a hive.... an idea’s brought up and... if the overwhelming majority of people... agree with it, then we go with it.” The quote serves to give a simplified and somewhat idealized picture of Anonymous as a democratic entity; however, his hesitations and tendency to use improper grammar take a little credibility away from his statements. In between clips of the interview, flashes and sound bytes from various Anonymous propaganda campaigns play. Troy goes on to vaguely threaten those police that commit brutalities, claim to know how Anonymous gets personal information about said officers, but then, in an attempt to be the mysterious Anonymous cowboy he so idealizes, declines to comment on the method. The segment goes on to say that the Department of Homeland Security and FBI have issued letters and warrants in relation to Anonymous’ activities, summarizes the events of the Christmas Day Anonymous extravaganza, and ends on a positive note, saying that while Anonymous did hack and steal from a company, it gave the money stolen away to charity.
It is incredibly refreshing to see a mainstream media piece in favor of Anonymous’ agenda. However, the execution is laughable at best. ‘Troy’ offers several highly usable, if extensively edited, pieces of information regarding Anonymous’ mode of thought and organization. The clips spliced between interview segments serve to generate interest and intrigue, painting the group as a kind of Internet cowboy or Peter Pan, showing the idealistic side of the Anonymous nebula. Unfortunately, the information is so vague, and the primary source so very disputable, that it reads more like a human interest piece than a treatise on the activities and motivations of Anonymous.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Source: CNN feature on Anonymous, and transcript
This is the transcript for this video from CNN, a feature on Anonymous dated 1/11/2012.
[clip of protests]
It's a dark and disturbing vision. A world where riot police attack with impunity.
[clip: Medic! Medic!... What happened, what happened? ...He got shot!]
Where democracy is corrupted by greed, and dissent is crushed. That's how Anonymous sees America, and they say that's why they're fighting back.
[clip: Anonymous: We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget.]
Troy, not his real name, is one of them. We met him at the Occupy Wall Street camp at Zucoti (sic) park.
Troy: There's no specific person that talks for us, it's more like a hive, you know, an idea's brought up and whoever agrees with it, if the overwhelming majority of people that agree with it, then we go with it.
[Video: We are Anonymous. ]
Anonymous likens itself to the Airforce of the Occupy movement.
[Video: Everyone, everywhere, will occupy their towns halls, their capitols, and other public spaces.]
When they see evidence of what they believe is police misbehavior, Anonymous strikes back, releasing personal information about specific officers.
Troy: And hopefully they'll think twice before he pulls out his baton against somebody that's holding a sign saying “we just want peace.”
Reporter: And how are they getting the cell phone numbers and personal information of these officers or bankers?
Troy: I'd rather not say.
The department of Homeland Security has put out several letters to law enforcement and corporate security focused mainly on the group's hacking activities, and the FBI has made more than a dozen arrests. But there's no indication that has cramped Anonymous' style.
[Video: Anonymous: Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to all on Planet Earth.]
On Christmas day, members crashed the website of a security research company, hacking it's client list along with their credit card numbers in order to steal one million dollars for donations to charity.
[Video: Anonymous: We are Anonymous. Expect us.]
Bibliographical Entry:
CNN. (Producer). (2012). 'Anonymous' confront police. [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/video/
Consists of a video interview and coverage of recent Anonymous activities, including a current member describing vaguely the structure of Anonymous.
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