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Hactivist group promises more shenanigans in 2013.If you thought the hactivist group known as Anonymous would fade from view in the New Year, think again. Anonymous posted a message making it clear it intends to keep on hacking, telling the world, "We are still here...Expect us." Of course, it just wouldn't be an anonymous post without some derogatory language, so keep that in mind before clicking through to the organization's website for the full message.
Anonymous also posted a short video bragging of its dealings in 2012, including the temporary shutdown of the U.S. Department of Justice and other sites in protest of the U.S. government targeting MegaUpload. Also in the video are various clippings related to the organization's effort to thwart Westboro Baptist Church members from protesting the funeral of Newtown, Connecticut shooting victim Principal Dawn Hochsprung.
Not all of the organization's deed's have been admirable, however, and oftentimes innocent people are caught in the crossfire. It's not unusual for Anonymous to post personally identifiable information of people who are members of a site or company that Anonymous has a beef with, including banking organizations.
The video (embedded below) is likely in reaction to McAfee recently predicting that Anonymous would decline in 2013.
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Jeffrey Deutsch
January 06, 2013 at 2:43pm
Thwarting even the Westboro Baptist Church's protests is still wrong, I'm sorry to say. In this country, we have a strong right of free speech - and it's *not* just for (those we regard as) halfway decent people.
All too much of our history has been trampling on the rights of those the majority feared, hated and despised...sometimes ethnic and other minorities, sometimes those who simply differed in terms of politics or religion. And when their free speech is suppressed, that makes it all the worse. Yes, some messages are painful to hear...would you like to have the kind of body that cannot feel pain?
We don't need Constitutional rights* to protect the popular and the mainstream. We need them precisely to protect those who would be silenced otherwise.
Pretty much every idea we hold dear today - including the one about homosexuals being human and maybe even deserving of equal rights - has been at some point in history widely regarded as hateful and evil, if not also ridiculous. Ask any Stonewall veteran how it feels to not only be on the outs but also have most of society *actively* against you.
Last but not least...if you approve of somebody else's rights being violated, what do you expect if and when you're next?
[*] Yes, Constitutional rights can apply against private individuals and groups too, if their actions are illegal.
Jeff Deutsch
pastorbob
January 07, 2013 at 6:03am
I agree with you about the right to free speech, even when we find it repulsive and offensive. And the Supreme Court upheld the WBC's right to demonstrate at funerals.
The issue of free speech and its limits has been tested numerous times over the history of our country and often makes strange bedfellows (e.g. the ACLU and The American Nazi Party). But at what point does your right to speak freely become an infringement on my right to peace of mind as I grieve for a lost loved one? And when it does, do I not have the right to ask you to take your offensive language elsewhere? If I am in a movie theater, and the person sitting next to me is talking loudly on his mobile phone during the movie refusing to stop, he will most likely be ejected from the theater. Is that infringing on his right to free speech? It isn't much different when somebody is shouting hateful slurs at me and my family as we mourn a fallen loved one. Yet in the name of civil liberties, families are forced to endure it.
I don't know all of the answers nor do I pretend to know more about constitutional rights than our esteemed court justices. But I do believe that values in this country continue to deteriorate, often in the name of civil liberties. And the WBC is a prime example of such deterioration right along with the blatant disregard for the value of human life that has taken so many people over the last couple of months.
hufayasr
January 05, 2013 at 1:17pm
upto I looked at the receipt of $7339, I have faith that...my... mom in-law woz like they say realy receiving money part time from there new laptop.. there uncles cousin has done this for only 8 months and just paid the mortgage on their home and purchased a new Lotus Elan. I went here, Cloud65.com
nudagaga
January 04, 2013 at 1:34pm
before I looked at the receipt of $5564, I didnt believe that...my... friends brother woz like they say truly bringing in money in their spare time on their apple laptop.. there neighbor haz done this less than twenty months and at present cleard the morgage on there cottage and purchased a great Aston Martin DB5. read more at, Cloud65.com
Electrik
January 03, 2013 at 8:26pm
Wow, that's quite the website. Their philosophies read like a bizarre mixture of utopianism, sex and mushrooms.
I was going to drop a derogatory comment on them, but they would probably hack me to death.
Shalbatana
January 03, 2013 at 9:31am
You know, not that I"m promoting this in any way shape or form...cause I'm not.
but it's interesting that we never hear about any hacking into the accounts of the greedy bank owners who took our bail out money and gave themselves huge bonuses then refused to pay us back?
I wonder why that is? probably because then someone would get in REAL trouble.
pastorbob
January 03, 2013 at 6:12am
As a minister in the Church, I have always considered the WBC and their hate philosophy disgusting and reprehensible. They distort the Bible and Jesus's words to the extreme in much the same way that those who instigated The Crusades and The Inquisition did. They in no way represent what I believe Scripture says and I applaud and support any group (The Patriot Guard Riders come to mind) for standing between them and the families of the grieving.
But on the other hand, I think Anonymous also often abuses free speech and the concept of freedom of information. Too often there are innocent victims hurt by their antics.
Just my opinion and you know what they say about opinions. :-)
TrollBot5000
January 02, 2013 at 2:38pm
See at least Anonymous is trying to make some sort of difference. In regards to the WBC those pieces of shit deserve anything that Anonymous deals their way. I mean just when you think that scum can't sink any lower they protest Sandy Hook. I try to limit my cussing on this site but seriously WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?!?!?!?!?!??!? Yeah Fred Phelps it's obvious gay marriage is behind the tragedy in Newton... I can't wait for that guy to die I'll protest his funeral and hold up a sign: "Atheists hate ignorant fear mongering bible nuts". Now back to just Anonymous in general yes there are things that I disagree with them on like posting personal info of innoncent people but overall I think we need hackers like them in this sick corrupt society. Yes at times their methods are a bit crass but for the most part they have my support.
Happy
January 02, 2013 at 3:33pm
+1
P.S. I wish they did some REAL hacking and released some Bradley Manning type of info rather than just the shallow hacking that they always do.
They aren't making a difference but you're definitely right about us needing more hackers in this sick corrupt society. (I'm referring to ethical and independent hackers, not government hackers who help the authoritarian government continue it's unconstitutional tyranny).
Shalbatana
January 02, 2013 at 11:45am
Before all the annoying fighting that posts about these guys (and posts about anything govt related) tends to start begins, let's just all agree that it's okay to say some or all of us can agree with [some, more or less] of their message, and still totally [or not] think they're going about it the wrong way.... and leave it at that.
Happy
January 02, 2013 at 3:35pm
Gotta love synchronicity. I was just reading the definitions of "tautology" yesterday. :D
ApathyCurve
January 02, 2013 at 10:19am
Why do you give press to this flock of sociopathic basement dwellers? I can only assume it's for the sick fascination value, like watching the antics of those Westboro Church lunatics.
TrollBot5000
January 02, 2013 at 2:28pm
Basically what Ryu said plus the fact that "basement" or apartment or house dwelling is part of the computer geek's ethos. You don't get good at computer science by being an extrovert.
Ryu
January 02, 2013 at 1:54pm
Because it's technological news and that's part of what MPC does. Also - this is not an ad hominem argument (or any type of argument for that matter lol), I just find it amusing - your words appear to contract your username :). I personally agree with a lot of what anonymous says/does. Not all of it, but I'm a bit of a closet revolutionary. I'm thankful for the freedom to express our opinions over the web (as we both have done) and hope such freedom continues into the future.
