BR #9

Idle No More is fundamentally dependant on social media. We see the evolution of community involvement when you compare something like the London Riots in 2011 who utilized Blackberry messenger as their primary medium of communication to he Idle No More movement. This form of communication (BBM) may have been secure but it was far from inclusionary. This digital divide through access to the communication method was revised as we see the Idle No More campaign not restricting any involvement based on financial standpoint or regional boundaries. Social media includes people who are on any interactive forum including Facebook and Twitter. The majority of the people involved in this movement were in areas that had easily accessible internet connection and because all of this social media is free, the communication is increasingly efficient. 

Arab Spring movements appear to have a greater obstacle when it comes to the involvement of the government. When the people in charge of the well being of an entire country deny the public transparency within their operations, there becomes a bigger problem. First off the government did not allow people to become involved in decision making, secondly they prevented them to voice their concerns. Not only has the government presented a digital divide, but they have restricted digital access all together. Removing the means of communication between a population is a violation of rights and makes it extremely difficult to spread updates and information on the social movement. Facebook had been the primary method of communication in Egypt and once that was denied to them, they were lucky enough to have already largely spread the word. If the use of the internet and phone lines were removed prior to he original protests on their police recognition day there would not have been enough awareness on the movement and there would not have been any major impact on the population. 

There appears to have been a potential digital divide within the Arab Spring movements which the Idle No More does not have to worry about. Gender equality within the Aboriginal community is a strong cultural aspect but for those in the middle east, has been a topic of controversy. Those living in the middle east have not always thought in a manner that promotes gender equality. However, in the videos shown in class it appears that there are women involved but not to the extent that there could be. The vast majority of people running April 6th were men and from a view of the streets it also looked as if the majority protesting were men. If there were complete equality then there would be more women involved in the social movement. This is likely also apparent on a digital front. Luckily access to interactive social media sites are not restrictive of gender or sexual orientation. 

What seems amazing is the bond through religion created in Egypt between the police and the protestors. Regardless of the war that may be raging in front of them the police respect the protestors right to practice Muslim prayers. 

Hacking for freedom BR #8

The power of anonymity is immense and I believe it should be respected. Due to the nature of the internet, if there is ever a need to find a person who is inflicting serious harm onto another, then that can be done. In the case of websites like 4chan, the aim of the forums are to express yourself and an identity isn't necessary. The internet has enabled people to speak freely and express themselves in a way that they may not be able to do in real life. How can you punish people and force them to produce their identity if it has no relevance to their posts or comments. 

The fact that the government has now implemented a law preventing people from wearing masks when protesting is outrageous. With this restriction in real life, where else are people to turn but the internet. This law is an example of the government flexing their muscles onto a population simply looking for some freedom of speech. Anonymous is a necessary tool to remind and consistently challenge the government. Ultimately it is us the masses that elect them and it is us the masses that have the power. We may not have the ability to protest openly in the streets in the way we want, but there are other ways to make an impact, and online is the perfect platform. The documentary screened in class is a perfect example of the challenging relationship between those seeking to express themselves and the rule of law implemented by those more powerful in society. All of the stories documented present people who honestly mean no harm, but are people who look to remind the public of the power they have. That being said some anonymous hackers are not using their talents for good, but in the grand scheme of things their the good seems to be overpowering the bad.

I personally don’t have any online presence online that is anonymous. I am completely identified in all aspects because I am not very technically competent. If i were to express myself in a way that my be detrimental in terms of a future career, I would have no way of preventing the content I put out from being traced back to me. Ultimately we live in a free country, but the word free is not necessarily easily defined. Even if the government is not the one monitoring and occasionally charging individuals, it is society itself that prevents free speech. I cannot challenge authority even on a small scale. If I question the ability of a teacher, that teacher will punish me, maybe not directly, but through my marks. Unless we as the whole class review the teacher anonymously then there will be no change, and even then there is rarely a change. My point being that our society is set up in a hierarchal power system, and challenging that model in any way, even in what appears to be minuscule, is dangerous. The creation of Anonymous is extremely important to protect people who look to challenge that model. Especially when they challenge it for the good.