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.