General Anonymous cyberwarriors stun experts

[The Helper]

Internet subcultures rarely make front page news. But when the mysterious forces of Anonymous took it upon themselves to attack opponents of WikiLeaks, the whistle-blowing website, their success took everyone – not least victims such as Visa, MasterCard and PayPal – by surprise.

This year has seen military and security experts often warn about the prospects of “cyberwarfare”. Few expected the most prominent assaults against large companies to come from a scattered group of anarchists and idealists with no identifiable leader, membership or nationality.

The loose internet grouping that calls itself Anonymous has been notorious in web circles for years, particularly for its apparently random attacks on the music industry, Kiss singer Gene Simmons, YouTube and the Scientologists. Its wilfully illiterate grammar and black humour has permeated the internet far beyond the 4chan messageboard, which originally spawned it.

Even as the more serious matters of attacks on big companies were plotted this week, Anonymous followers in 4chan’s open chat rooms chimed in with insults and jokes. But with what it has dubbed “Operation Payback” the group has mounted its most ideological crusade yet.

Anonymous cyberwarriors stun experts

www.ft.com

 

[esb]

Simply awesome.

 

[13lade619]

a scattered group of anarchists and idealists with no identifiable leader, membership or nationality.

hence the name, Anonymous.

 

[Hatebreeder]

So, what are they so stunned about?

This is what I'd call activisism.
It's just a bunch of people that do what they think is right and take any measures to do so.

 

[esb]

They're stunned at the lack of order and leadership.

 

[Wummi]

Leet. L3et. L33t. L33T!!!

 

[Sevion]

we r kool. we come 4 u. Anonymous unite!

 

[Lyerae]

So, what are they so stunned about?

How a unstructured group with no leadership can accomplish this much.

 

[Vellu]

"mysterious forces of Anonymous" Sounds like an evil army of some video game.

 

[Xienoph]

I didn't see anything in the article that suggests that "experts" are stunned beside the title. Also, who are these "experts"? I'm sure computer scientists and engineers are not surprised from what Wikipedia has shown them.

 

[tom_mai78101]

How a unstructured group with no leadership can accomplish this much.

If you think mankind as an unstructured group without any leader (world leader, emperor of the world, Conqueror of the Shamballa, etc.), then it's perfectly acceptable for them to accomplish as much as possible.

 

[esb]

Mankind (for the majority) isn't and hasn't been unstructured or without a leader. Groups (Religion, countries, cities, tribes, schools, work places, etc.) have leaders. The whole world doesn't have a leader.

 

[Slapshot136]

they do more or less have a leadership and talk/organize/coordinate their attacks..

also

[YOUTUBE]zMNRSi93qIk[/YOUTUBE]

oprah claims anon is organized

 

[esb]

She doesn't count. She's simply stupid and ignorant.

 

[Vellu]

They're organized in their own way, without a leader.

 

[Hatebreeder]

Well, they have rules, don't they? So it's somewhat organized =P

 

[Bartuc08]

You can't compare Anon with other organized structures, it's impossible. There's no rank or leaders, there's not even a sign up form. You simply log in and give your two cents, if people agree it can become a movement.

 

[Hatebreeder]

You can't compare Anon with other organized structures, it's impossible. There's no rank or leaders, there's not even a sign up form. You simply log in and give your two cents, if people agree it can become a movement.

How are you supposed to log in without signing up?
Is it just, Nickname and Password?

 

[Bartuc08]

How are you supposed to log in without signing up?
Is it just, Nickname and Password?

lol, what I meant was you don't need to fill out a lengthy form like you would for a job. I haven't explored 4chan to much, but I'm sure you can leave replies without an account. That's how Anonymous came to be.