I first heard of Anonymous sometime in 2008 when they
launched Project Chanology, the ongoing dispute between Anonymous, Tom Cruise,
and Scientology. At the time, I wasn’t aware of Anonymous’ purpose – why it
existed, or how it was causing enough commotion to grace the front page of
every newspaper. I knew about Anonymous through the context of Fox
News, CNN, and television; specifically, I knew about the negativity that surrounded Anonymous. True, it is easy to think of Anonymous as the troublemakers of the web. Some go as far as considering Anonymous as an online "cyber-terrorist" group.Their unorthodox practices are often frowned upon; yet the many institutions who slandered this online activist group when they first emerged have adopted a different outlook. It wasn't until 2011, when Anonymous claimed responsibility for attacked Westboro Baptist Church, where I sought to learn more about Anonymous and its goals and understood the good that it brought. I became more conscious of Anonymous' influence in the social setting and how it had morphed greatly from its original roots as a 'hacking community.'
In Anonymous In Context, Gabriella Coleman lays out a timeline for us. When Anonymous began in 2008, its definition was synonymous with "trolling"; it started out as an internet parlance that originated on 4chan and was responsible for pulling online pranks. Current day, Anonymous has morphed into a group that fights against political corruption, hypocrisy, and corporate secrecy. Particularly in New York, Anonymous has become the face, the leader, of social and political discourse. Although the true significance of the mask still has underlying notes of hacktivism and trickery, more importantly, it has become a public symbol - a symbol that signifies protest and dispute over many court vs. public agendas, almost adopting a "If Anonymous is present, everything will be okay for the people" ethic.
In recent events, Anonymous has participated in social rallies different from those they took on in their early trolling days: Justice for Trayvon Martin rallies, and Occupy Wall Street. Dramatically speaking, Anonymous has become a type of "savior" for the citizens of America. But from another perspective, Anonymous has proven itself as a dangerous organization that corrupt corporations should fear. Coleman explains that in the 2012 election, President Obama's campaign chose to not touch on topics relating to Anonymous in fear that it would attract their attention. Time after time, Anonymous has proven its hacking capabilities, so much to messing with our national security and the FBI.
In Anonymous In Context, Gabriella Coleman lays out a timeline for us. When Anonymous began in 2008, its definition was synonymous with "trolling"; it started out as an internet parlance that originated on 4chan and was responsible for pulling online pranks. Current day, Anonymous has morphed into a group that fights against political corruption, hypocrisy, and corporate secrecy. Particularly in New York, Anonymous has become the face, the leader, of social and political discourse. Although the true significance of the mask still has underlying notes of hacktivism and trickery, more importantly, it has become a public symbol - a symbol that signifies protest and dispute over many court vs. public agendas, almost adopting a "If Anonymous is present, everything will be okay for the people" ethic.
In recent events, Anonymous has participated in social rallies different from those they took on in their early trolling days: Justice for Trayvon Martin rallies, and Occupy Wall Street. Dramatically speaking, Anonymous has become a type of "savior" for the citizens of America. But from another perspective, Anonymous has proven itself as a dangerous organization that corrupt corporations should fear. Coleman explains that in the 2012 election, President Obama's campaign chose to not touch on topics relating to Anonymous in fear that it would attract their attention. Time after time, Anonymous has proven its hacking capabilities, so much to messing with our national security and the FBI.
The question we've long waited to address concerns the morals of Anonymous: Is Anonymous a force for good? Anonymous has been a credible source in bringing government and corporate corruptions into the limelight. Although their practices might seem unorthodox, they seem to carry out a specific message: "Don't mess with us. Don't mess with our rights. We do not forgive. We do not forget." I don't believe that their releasing of personal information of over 4,000 bank executives was a smart move (they jeopardized the safety of all these innocent individuals to seek revenge against the United States Sentencing Commission). But in other cases like their campaign against child pornography (Operation DarkNet) and their aid with the Steubenville Rape Case has proved the importance and effectiveness of Anonymous over and over. In conclusion, Anonymous' campaign to defend the rights of its people and to annihilate political corruption is righteous. If anything, Anonymous has done more right than wrong, especially in lending a voice to American public. Ergo, the follow-up question we fear to ask is: What if Anonymous becomes corrupt? I hope that's a question we don't ever have to address.
No comments:
Post a Comment