Oh, look. This is cool.

So, I just found out that there is a recently-released historical documentary of Anonymous. I haven't had time to watch it yet, but it may become a background source.

More Anonymous activity over the past few days

Anonymous takes down several websites for hours in response to the Federal takedown of MegaUpload. Since this unprecedented government action, the Department of Justice website has been shut down by an Anonymous DDoS attack.

Looks like stuff's getting real.

Anon Press Release Resource Analysis

The recent press release by Anonymous, relating to “Operation: Invade Wall Street” focuses mainly on inflammatory rhetoric and persuasion of the pathos rather than actual information. There isn’t much of a thesis, but it is implied that the police and public institutions have become inherently bad, and that it is the audience’s duty to rise up and stop the Oppressors. Therefore, one must consider it, rather than an argument, an advertisement.

    The use of strong language serves the author’s purpose to create a forceful and somewhat threatening image. Such phrases as “the laws of this country no longer serve to protect the weak from the excesses of the strong” communicate a vigilant standing with the “99%” or the oppressed majority of the population, and anger at the ability of the “1%” to control the United States economy and, by proxy, its government. Indeed, the piece says “the government rotate[s] around the axis of the wealthiest 1%,” strongly articulating the commonly-held belief that the wealthy hold too much power over public institutions. Furthermore, the release identifies itself with the general public, making statements in the latter half, each starting with "We," such as "We the people shall stand against the government's inaction." This alludes to the Constitution of the United States, striking a patriotic note with the American readers and creating a sentiment of unity. Lastly, the strong adjectives relating to corporate greed and the government's involvement serve to generate anger. Words like "corruption," "excesses of the strong," "robber barons of Wall Street," are easily spotted as inflammatory devices. 
      The motto following the passage, "Vox Populi....Expect Us" is a familiar one to followers of the Anonymous movement. The original motto was "We are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us." Utilized as early as the anti-Scientology protests of 2006, this motto is intended to be threatening towards the groups Anonymous targets, but invokes the kind of group-think commonly referred to in the movement as "hivemind." The addendums to this older motto: Vox Populi, Vox Anonymous (essentially, Voice of the People, Anonymous), We are the 99%, and a direct address to Wall Street, show an evolution of sorts within the group. Now, rather than solely threatening on the part of an unnamed whole, Anonymous identifies itself as the common people, the proletariat rising up, as it were.
      Whereas the former image of Anonymous has been one of childish pranksters, this mature and well- put together propaganda piece shows a growth in its goals and motivations.

Final Project Proposal: Anon IRL

The Internet Age is fast approaching. Nowadays, most of our communication is done online; we speak face-to-face from opposite ends of the world, write letters that arrive instantly, and share documents with the greatest of ease. Anonymous, an online group of self-proclaimed “hacktivists,” is a symptom of this incredible new capacity to communicate cropping up from the Internet. They extend to all areas of the globe, hiding behind online anonymity and Guy Fawkes masks to conceal their identities. Anonymous has become a household name, synonymous with both fear and hope; they promise to destroy the current system, declaring an online war against the “Opressors.” From Occupy Wall Street to support of Wikileaks, Anonymous has made its presence known worldwide. But how far does Anonymous’ influence extend? How do they organize, create ideas, and incite revolution?

    Anonymous, as a group, is a nebulous organization completely based around the Web. Its roots spring from 4chan, an online image board where each and every post is completely anonymous, hence the name of the group. Furthermore, due to high activity on the website, not every thread is archived; sometimes within less than an hour, an entire conversation between members of Anonymous can disappear. Therefore, very little concrete information exists on the group. However, with some digging, I have found several websites that various branches of Anonymous use to organize and create projects. I say “branches” because Anonymous claims to lack leaders; instead, small groups, each calling themselves the same thing, work on individual projects. These include: DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks on foundations such as the Bank of America and the Church of Scientology, masked gatherings in protest (many Anonymous members were present at the protests against Scott Walker’s policies in Madison), and boycotts. Many of these gatherings are organized and executed completely online, through Twitter, 4chan, and IRC chat rooms; therefore, ringleaders are almost impossible to find. So far, only a few Anonymous members have been arrested for illegal activites: the most part continue to remain completely unknown.
    The unique propaganda that Anonymous circulates is one area that I will attempt to cover extensively, as it is both well-recorded and represents much of Anonymous’ operations. Not only does much of this propaganda describe the “Operations” or activities and protests that Anonymous initiates or participates in, but it also shows the arguments its members make, and those which inspire the rest of Anonymous’ members to join. In particular, Operation Invade Wall Street and Anonymous’ support of the whistle-blowing site Wikileaks are examples of these well-publicized activities which provide concrete and compelling evidence for Anonymous’ influence on the modern political scene. Not only that, but the related protests, including the DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) on such powerful sites as PayPal, MasterCard, and the Bank of America in response to their refusal to allow bank transfers to Wikileaks, are very important when studying the group. One member of Anonymous, as cited by the Utah radio segment  “Buy Back America” likens these attacks to the sit-ins performed in the civil rights movement of the ‘60s,  rather than actual hacking. The various methods of protest they use, from showing up to Occupy Wall Street protests in Guy Fawkes masks to DDoS, are both varied and astounding. This versatility relates extensively to their influence on the modern world; Anonymous is both a nebulous organization and a concrete entity. Online, Anonymous is a force to be reckoned with; in real life, they may be more vulnerable, but they remind the public that Anonymous is very, very real.
    This topic is interesting to me because it is extremely relevant, not only to current issues, but also to the future of both protest and, perhaps, the form government will take in the next century. Our world is changing, and we are all in the middle of it. For field research, I will be doing this almost exclusively online; I’ve already found several Anonymous IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channels where I would be able to speak directly to members of Anonymous. Since much of this information is currently breaking, the Anon News and AnonOps sites will be very useful. My working title is “Anonymous In Real Life.”

Five Annotated Bibliographical Pieces.

Anon News.Org
A website with information  and propaganda relating to various Anonymous operations. Examples of such operations as “Operation Invade Wall Street,” “Operation Rainbow Dark,” and “Operation DOX NYPD.” Also includes external news sources relating to Anonymous’ activities.
A Message to the American People
This is a propaganda piece made by members of Anonymous in response to the National Defense Authorization Act. Anonymous comes out strongly against it, calling the bill “the most traitorous act ever witnessed by the Senate.”  It then gives some information on the etails of the bill, claiming it will allow the U.S. military to lock anyone up without trial. Lastly, Anonymous issues a classic call for action among the viewers.
Buy Back America- Truth is Revolutionary
A radio section about Anonymous’ old site, Truth Is Revolutionary. A new segment about the youth movements of today. Statement from a member of Anonymous regarding hacking (or the lack thereof) on the part of Anonymous members; says that DDoS is NOT hacking, rather a type of online sit-ins. Some information on why they targeted Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, etc. and some Anonymous’ opinions on government and Wikileaks. Will be very useful; many direct quotes from interviews with Anonymous members.
Anonymous Exposes German Neo-Nazis
A short news article on “Operation Blitzkreig,” an Anonymous operation focusing on Neo-Nazis. The group created a website for this operation, hacking the National Democratic Party of Germany and several online Nazi supply stores  and posting the names, addresses and email addresses of the members of these sites. Provides insight into the reactions of some Germans, saying it is an invasion of privacy.
“‘Anonymous’ hacktivists expose the intelligence gap” 
 Article summarizing the activities of Anonymous over Christmas, focusing on the hacking of US intelligence company Stratfor. The group released names, email addresses, passwords and credit card information of subscribers to the company. However, Stratfor claims that these subscribers are not actual clients, saying Anonymous may be disappointed with the results of their efforts. Article then goes on to explain who and what Anonymous is, saying it is a “loose collection of people,” and extrapolating on several of Anonymous’ previous activities.

Source Summary: Anon News Operation: Invade Wall Street

You can read the press release from Anonymous here.

The arguments in this release are few and far between, but the main points are:

• Police enforcement has become too extreme; they seem to "enjoy their jobs too much," meaning they savor the use of violence
• References to the "99%" or economically oppressed majority; claims the laws protect the "1%"
• "Declares war" against the New York Stock Exchange, sets the date for 10/10/12

Style Notes:

• Very little sourcing or citation in arguments; essentially a pathetic argument
• More propagandistic than argumentative; designed to incite rage among readers
• Likely directed to "preach to the choir."
• Various discrepancies from usual form; the motto, in particular, has been added to, to include "We are the 99%...Wall Street, Expect Us."

Written Summary:

The most recent press release by a branch of Anonymous relates mainly to “Operation Invade Wall Street,” a program that operates in conjunction with the Occupy Wall Street movement. It is addressed to the “Institutions of the Media,” in the form of a letter; however, further reading reveals it to be more of a preaching to the choir scenario. The writers- who remain anonymous, of course- claim that law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the United States use too much force, or are “enjoying their work a little too much.” Along with this claim comes another, that public institutions pass corrupt laws to support the oppressive “1%” which exploit the “99%” or majority of the public. Rather than arguments, these claims are stated as fact with very little evidence backing them up. Nevertheless, the release goes on to declare a “popular war against the New York Stock Exchange,” citing corruption and public institutions’ support of this corruption as reasons. Then, Anonymous states forebodingly that the date, the 10th of October, on which their popular war will take place, will never be forgotten. Finally, they close with the classic Anonymous motto, with two addendums; “We are the 99%... Wall Street: Expect us.” Though there are few claims and less of an argument to substantiate them, as a piece of propaganda, the press release is very effective. Using recent events as a catalyst, the article continues to build fury within its supporters by using pathetic rhetoric to incite anger. Therefore, as an advertisement, rather than a letter, it becomes a very valuable source.

A good website for Awareness

Wikileaks is a revolutionary site designed to encourage awareness of what our governments are actually doing. It is a massive contributor towards the growing Internet movement to question authority. Read their statements. Download the documents. Realize what exactly our governments are up to.