HPR ran a segment on Project Chanology, give it a listen if the subject is of interest to you. It also got me thinking that, while Anon might be a decentralized group, getting some control over their actions could be a huge asset.
Anon claims they are completely leaderless and that their actions come as a result of many people getting a strong opinion about something - and taking action. In a sense, this could be seen as pure democracy, where the will of the people is put to action directly - and the success depends on the numbers of supporters of an idea. I could do something tomorrow and say it was done by Anonymous and for many people this would equate as a group effort, even if it isn’t. While the media will get the wrong facts published1 the truth is quite different.
Now, with sufficient social engineering and disinformation tactics, some may succeed in channelling the power of Anon to server their own interests. After Chanology, whatever the results may be, all these Space Monkeys will, maybe, lust for a new target. It’s fun to be part of something. It’s rewarding to see your actions make a direct impact on the world at large. So while the power of Anon could be harnessed to deal with some other very big problems of the world, it could also be used for random mischief. Well, ‘random’. Therein lies the danger of something like Anon, but then again, the danger always exists. The way they are organized should make this very hard to accomplish. I hope the Church of Scientology was chosen for their track record - and only ventures against establishments of equal perversion are undertaken in the future2. Otherwise, mindless droning (and the Cult of Anon, maybe?)
I really hope to see Anon succeed, even partially, in their goals. It should remind governments and corporations that people aren’t always willing to sit by idly. It would lay down a precedent on how cyber warfare is to be conducted. It will construct a highly decentralized guerilla, ready to spring to action when need be.
