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.”
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