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.
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