Anonymous refuses all definitions, yet a close look at their actions is all one needs to understand what they are all about. Anonymous is not a group of socially minded and technologically savvy internet users that want to change the world for the better. They are not a group at all. Instead, they are a loose federation of loud mouths and hackers who mostly want to make a buck or achieve the goal of inflating their selfish pride-albeit anonymously. In the most sophisticated achievement to date, Anonymous has managed to cripple and embarrass HBGary, a security firm that insulted Anons everywhere by infiltrating their IRC channel and figuring out the handles of those responsible for deployment of the LOIC. Not only is this attack childish, spiteful, and pointless, but it shows that Anonymous is most willing to use their potential for positive change instead for self-aggrandizing and meaningless pursuits.
As Iran continues to injure and kill protesters as in 2009, Anonymous continues to take down symbolic political targets on the web with their weakest tool, LOIC. The power of a symbol is in the attention it receives from the media and Anonymous has only been truly successful in these kind of attacks on Visa and Mastercard. It is hard to grasp and explain the Anonymous mindset because there are very few things that “Anons” have in common. Firstly, they are all internet users. Secondly, “Anons” choose to remain anonymous, but only in principle. The truth is that “Anons” assume the security of anonymity whether or not it truly applies.
I feel it is a wholly weak and pitiful trait of humankind that we must hide our identities to speak our mind or to take action. I believe anonymous is comprised of weaklings who take action in fear and would not do so if they did not believe they could get away with it anonymously. You are not brothers to protesters in the streets, you are cowards who sit behind computer screens and put your greatest efforts towards selfish pride instead of greater good. Hacktivist is too good of a term for Anons. That implies an ultimate purpose where there is obviously none.
Of all the facets of Anonymous, AnonNews is the most despicable. I’d challenge them to release their financial records but that’s not even necessary. Using PayPal, hated enemy of free speech, the owner takes donations and PayPal gets their dirty little share. Not only that, but they’ve gotten some cash from Military Recruiters. Yet no one seems to care about what amounts to blatant financial exploitation of the Anonymous phenomenon.
Anons are weak and pitiful for not holding AnonNews to account.
Anons are weak and pitiful for attacking HBGary when they could make a change that matters.
Anons are weak and pitiful for remaining anonymous.
We are Anonymous.We are Legion.We do not forgive,We do not forget,Expect usSincerely,Anonymous
We live in the time of now. We die tomorrow. But we weren’t born yesterday.