We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists
So who is Anonymous? They've been called criminals, "hackers on steroids" and even terrorists. But the vast majority of those who identify as Anonymous don't break the law.
They see themselves as activists and protectors of free speech, and tend to rise up most powerfully when they perceive a threat to internet freedom or personal privacy. Whether you are a soccer mom or a member of Congress, you live in an electronic landscape that has exploded with largely unchecked intrusion and surveillance.
You are tracked by government databases while corporate advertisers are looking to buy your personal data for pennies. In this landscape, the existence of the collective internet culture called Anonymous makes the case for anonymity.
Using tools of disruption and spectacle, they have also become the face of dissent for a variety of human rights and information freedom groups around the globe.
They are a legion of loud but largely masked geeks, hackers, pranksters and outraged citizens who have unwittingly redefined civil disobedience for the digital age, and found themselves in the middle of one of the most important battles of our time. Please support the authors. Buy the DVD, stream or download the film.
Why is it now saying does not exist?!?!?
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????
art found on the web
I follow Anonymous on FB...and I support the fight...but I am puzzled why i cant seem to watch the flick...says its private?..someone hook me up! Power to the peeps! Stop bein sheeps!
Excellent, excellent, excellent vid!!!! With all the god docs that are seeming to be pushed by TD, it nice to see that there's a nice break from the crap being forced down my throat! Really liked the story line and a good history with some of the players in the movement. Wish I could have been there with you guys!
hell you guys are too much.. gotta stop posting w a real name... but someone has to stand up.... go get f ed... otherwise owed and operated and such
from what i took on this is it was a matter of standing up for your principles in the manner that best expresses your self.
@overtheedge
I am aware of what would happen if they showed themselves or had a spokesmen. And my point is the fact that they're not willing to go through any of those obstacles directly correlates to the lack of belief/importance of the issues they're "saving" us from.
I'm glad you brought up Assange, a true martyr; the antithesis of Anonymous.
Personally I think wearing a mask is a symbol which represents your lack of belief in what you're fighting for.
If somethings really important to you, you'll go to jail for it.
@ Lak
No, you are wrong about that. You almost couldn't be any more wrong about that. The only thing these two groups have in common (and bear in mind that I'm talking about Anonymous at its BEST - like I've SAID, more than once, already...) is that they both fight anonymously for what they believe in.
And that's it.
Anything else you might try to shoehorn into it would certainly just stem out of a (predictable) petty contentiousness on your part, because I can't believe for a moment you are so morally blind as to be unable to see any real difference between the two.
And I watched every single minute of the doc, thank you very much.
"It's LIFE, Lak: Pick a side."
Nope, not Dubya... Not even Anakin Skywalker. Nothing whatsoever said about only two choices here, either... Evidently, you suffer from some sort of "printed language Asperger's" (perhaps more accurately characterized as a stiff-necked failure to read between the lines), so let me spell it out for you very carefully: I mean, just the realization that very little in life is so black and white as you'd apparently like to insist everyone believe it is, and that if sometimes a just, necessary fight has to be waged a little outside the bounds of what is strictly legal, or even WITHIN the bounds of what is not altogether pleasing, that does not, ipso facto, make it one that shouldn't be made. There are times when all sorts of factors need to be weighed in the balance, and most people are capable of understanding that.
I think for the most part that what you’re saying has an element of truth in it, and you are brave for dealing with it like you have with well researched arguments. You see, I have managed to read most of it now, albeit it being rather hard to follow. I just wish you could be more concise with your posting so that there is some element of understanding to be gleaned from the many posts that you have written. Twaddle means nonsense – purely and simply. If you look at your posts, that’s what they become in such a density as you have posted. You may have the most relevant argument in the world, but what’s the point if it looks as disjointed and nonsensical as what has been seen here.
Heh...Now I’m doing it....
To me doing something for people all over the world is much better than sitting at home and resigning yourself to the gluttony of entertainment and luxuries. If selfishness is life then might as well be live like an innocent little sheep and watch as you lose your freedom bit by bit.
Luckily, not much of that has happened yet (or has happened and somehow recovering its freedom as time passes). The video clearly shows that if anyone, no matter how insignificant they are in the scheme of the world, can get things done if they join together, and the internet ensure that something like that can be achieved on a global scale.
To me this documentary seems like a warning to all the law breakers who hide behind a curtain of power. Sort of like, "You think you could get away with all the inhumane things you've done, hiding behind your little fortress of power. Well, think again, you've pissed off the world and the world will come and get you."
In all truths though, if nothing significantly detrimental happens, you won't see very much unified movement (it is notable how people can find discontent in almost everything life). The Anonymous is there and it will often home in on anyone that threatens the freedom and liberty of individuals. Beware!
might not agree with all of their objectives or the manner which they enact them, but the concept is there strong, and i couldn't agree with that more.
I see. Going after my weak point. The old free the stoners ploy. I can't hear you la la la la I can't hear you la la la la.........
Do you see the same problem I see with that?
And tying up Scientology's phone lines has accomplished exactly what? Are they still being tied up? Are the protesters still protesting? Or is it business as usual? I understood them to say they were going to "destroy" Scientology. I see no destruction. I would not call this even a "disruption". More like much ado about nothing.
What a great documentary! I really enjoyed the cheeky wit of those hackers, and was completely moved by their fight to expose so many different criminal cults/organisations/governments. It would have been even better if there was a meaningful commentary going on below from different people rather than the rather boring scribblings of a couple of inflated egos throwing their weight around over a very pointless argument. Come on people; let’s open this conversation up before it dries out! Did anyone find any other interesting things that Anonymous have been involved in?
Let's get one thing straight about this child pornography thing. I would bet every penny I have in the bank that the authorities have done more to end child pornography than Anonymous has. And when the authorities get their hands on this human garbage they go to jail.
Add to that the exposing of these people by Anonymous ties the authorities hands. The very thing used to jail these people, the evidence, is now unlikely to be admitted in court. So the pornographer gets a walk. In other words, Anonymous' actions in the end benefit the pornographer. Consequences.
I'm still having a problem understanding how "the actions taken in those specific cases was warranted" means anything other than they can take action if they think it is warranted. Either I'm real dense or I've stepped into an alternate universe.
Where did you say it is not freedom? "You ask, 'Once again I will ask you is this justice? Is this freedom?' NO NOT EVEN CLOSE" (your words).
Now as far as answering your questions just let me say I agree 100% with you - the analogies are not the same.
Comparing the good things Anynomous does to an electronic version of a sit-in certainly makes sense.
It's a shame some have to take things too far, but that even happened in the 60's and 70's but the message still got across.
I would hope that these Hackitvists continue risking their talents to fight the good fight and keep "the establishment" in line. After all, you never allow a bully to hit you twice or he will not stop.
Yeah, back home down South we had our own version of Anonymous. These fellas take it in their heads that justice needed to be dispensed then they were the ones who were gonna do the dispensin'. Them boys would all put on their MASKS (Jus' so's they'd be ANONYMOUS ya know). Then they'd go round a grab some poor soul , string him up real good, then pat each other on the back and say, "That b*stard had it comin'. Stringing him up was WARRANTED."
Funny how we never thought to call them boys Anonymous. But I figger if they want to call themselves KKK it's their business. Both appear to do the same thing though.
Moral of the story? Never ever never use Martin Luther King's words in support of a lynch mob. Real bad form.
@ Lak
If an action in the name of what is morally right is just "benefiting me," I'm perfectly content to be that selfish. And if that action has had to be taken by "stepping on the rights of others," I'm perfectly content to be that lawless.
Everything else you're concerned about, or that you're accusing me of, I feel has been well enough addressed, implicitly or directly, in what I've said so far. If you can't, or won't, read it carefully enough, that isn't my problem.
I hope each of you understands that you've given very reasoned responses. Still it is three (sorry) four-on-one. Not that I'm whining. I sincerely appreciate the reasoned response but give me a moment or two (i.e. I'm stoned)
The whole reason I started using this site is for watching docs like this. One of the best."Our goal was to wreak as much havok as possible... because it was stupid." "Riding around in a virtual spaceship with the words f*grydagrydo written on it wearing afros and dropping virtual bombs on little villages and concerts. And waving giant p*n*ses around. Annnnd, that was the most fun time I have ever had in my life." Beautiful.
@John Jacquard
Do you honestly have some kind of notion that the Powers That Be don't play by a different set of rules than the rest of us? And the censorship, more properly called simply anonymity, they employ is for their own protection in a Western world that is increasingly looking very much like inverted totalitarianism, particularly here in the "exceptional country" of the United States, where it is now legal to literally vanish your a$$ forever on not much provocation whatsoever, bypassing completely the former right of Habeas Corpus, so long as just enough care is taken to nail a good enough label on you. And if THAT (among other things) isn't suddenly playing by a different set of rules than what our Constitution guaranteed us, I don't know what the hell is. These people have, by and large, brought down such measures upon themselves, and so Anonymous has chosen to fight fire with fire.
So what?
And if you tell me that two wrongs don't make a right, I'll tell you that two negatives make a positive.
Listen, when they come out in force against apple-pie, grandmothers, and babies, you may well believe I'll be among the first to come out and disparage them and what they're doing. But in the meantime, if they impudently slap the faces of those whom the majority of people would consider have justly deserved it, I am not going to split hairs and pi$$ and moan about their perceived failure to assume some moral high-ground their competition has certainly not done, either. Sometimes it is NECESSARY in this world to be underhanded; the politicos and the corporations have long had that lesson learned better than anybody. And now it is time we the people learned it (again), too. If the PTB want to keep their pretty, privileged heads off of the guillotines, they'd damned well better start learning a new lesson of just how serious about serious change the people of this planet are becoming. And if those who would infringe (or worse) upon the rights of others for their own gain insist on using whatever unfair advantages have accrued to them as a result of their power and position, why on earth would you consider it inherently hypocritical or immoral for those who don't enjoy those same advantages to employ whatever means are at their disposal, in an effort to ameliorate, or even defeat, things that are clearly injustices?
there is your evidence.