'V' for Vendetta and the Idles of March - Of interesting things that are happening (Feb/29/2008 )
I took a break from writing my thesis today. And spend the afternoon rather wastefully reading news on Google. But before I knew it, I found myself reading about a war raging in parts of the Internet, which now has both side spilling out into real world. The first barrage have long ago been fired; the first demonstrations already over. But still, I could not help but read more about the subject and this amazing phenomenon of a fluid, leaderless, heterogeneous organisation call Anonymous, -perhaps best symbolised by the mask of ‘V’-, battling an intractable foe.
One side is Anonymous. – The antihero ‘V’
On the other is a foe “that shall not be named”. – Lord Voldemort
Perhaps it is paranoia but I do like this forum very much. The party in question has been known to flex it legal muscle to silence and shut down any critic... so just in case, when all the noise has gone, we don’t want to end up by accidentally in their gun sights, so let the Foe be ‘that which shall not be named.” – Lord Voldemort
So what is being fought over?
Well I think you should read it yourself. Wikipedia illustrate the story. But sufficient to say, on the surface is a case of patenting law carried to the extreme, with Anonymous on the side of free speech… as all good Net entities are. This here is a story where a group defends its intellectual property rights to the point where none may describe an idea, talk about it, and especially criticise it. But look a tiny bit deeper, it becomes the ‘why’ and ‘how’ such measures are taken. Almost at the very surface, it becomes a story of money, pyramid schemes, abuse, suicide-death, broken families, Machiavellian tactics, lawyers, subversion of the law, tax evasion, one nation’s laws dictating the legal proceedings of another, international expansion, and an individual’s right to self definition, event at the expense of ones’ own well being.
It reads very much like a good thriller. Only it’s real and Lord Voldermort can and will strike down any perceived foe using every means – Legal, semi legal and illegal. And so enters the antihero, Anonymous with its mask of ‘V’ for Vendetta.
Anonymous – I find rather interesting. Here is a Net phenomenon, an internet meme composed of a loose collection of groups and individuals. But rather then a mindless meme (such as the dancing hamster), it is a meme fighting for a cause. Anonymous is a meme which wielded enough influence to make people go out and protest. A bit like the communist revolution… but without a Lenin or Stalin to guide.
So what of Anonymous? I believe Anonymous is like ‘V’ for Vendetta, and many have made that connection by the mask they were. He is the ultimate enemy. Everywhere and nowhere. Every one and no one. A terrorist. An anarchist against the order of society. A vigilantly. Who in this situation is championing a just cause. Which I believe makes Anonymous worthy to being called a hero, even if only for daring to confront such a foe
This Foe of Anonymous, unlike Harry Potter’s Lord Voldemort, is for the most part lawfully evil. Armed with legions of lawyers and a fountain of money (which I had that), it has proved impossible to defeat despite its chequered history. The Ministry of Magic has done nothing and probably can do very little. Lord Voldermort's influence seems to be spreading around the world.
But what has Anonymous done?
Anonymous has managed to defend against Lord Voldermort and his death eater lawyer on the Internet. Unsurprisingly since this is ‘V’ home ground. Anonymous has taken the fight to the real world, bring up much debate over matters that Voldermort’s PR spokesmen doesn't want said. Yet for things that really matter, the legal and political arena… I am unsure if it Anonmynous had won anything yet. The crowds probably aren’t big enough to trigger political action.
Also the DoS (Denial of service) did not help on the legal front. But luckily that has stopped as realisation dawn that these attacks were a strategic mistake. The attack certainly uplifted the soldier’s morals. Helped win the cameras… but on the long term played into Lord Voldermort’s hands.
Anonymous must not sink to Lord Voldemort’s level, because Anonymous will get his righteous cape dirty and be beaten by experience (legal experience).
Now, as I come to a close, I find myself a bit irritated. Aside all the big issues in this story, there is just this one small little thing. It is bad enough having creationism trying to pass itself as a scientific theory and a contender to evolution. Now we have a cult/religion, (a large international, financially wealthy, publicly known one), which is verbally associating its name with science. When it certainly isn't studying science despite the name.
Makes it difficult for small children to differentiate us from them.
Thanks for the nice and well-written text, your thesis-writing must be quite boring 
.
Instead of Lord Voldemort I'd write "Governmental-industrial complex".
Have a look here .
[attachment=4315:patent_banner.jpg]
.Yes, it is. So very, very boring.
when i first heard of this organisation... i thought they were harmless. how times have changed.
does anyone really think that this organisation is linked with science... or more likely science fiction?
their ideas and the steps that they follow are now very well known. the secrecy that they used to have has been exposed to the point where it's common knowledge (and the butt of several jokes).
when i first heard of this organisation... i thought they were harmless. how times have changed.
does anyone really think that this organisation is linked with science... or more likely science fiction?
their ideas and the steps that they follow are now very well known. the secrecy that they used to have has been exposed to the point where it's common knowledge (and the butt of several jokes).
If there's one thing that's more dangerous than a lie, it's a lie that has just enough plausibility (often in the form of "scientific" proofs) to sound right.
What else would you expect from an organisation started by a poor B-grade SF writer?
the best lies often have a grain of truth.
and coupled with a confident voice and smartly dressed presentor, it can be a very convincing package.
and coupled with a confident voice and smartly dressed presentor, it can be a very convincing package.
You could call it a sect.
Is the youtube video still available? I missed it. I saw only a part on TV, but it seemed more impressive than his barkeeper role
. The vidoe is still there. Although it is not the original attempt at hosting it.
Nice piece of writing Pernese but I’m a bit dense these days (call it snow shock) so it took me awhile and a little bit of shallow sleuthing before I could get the gist of it (all that action, intrigue, mystery…. that’s why I don’t see the news 
). So this group calling themselves Anonymous are they the V for Villains masquerading as heroes...is that how the other side is painting them? And I still don’t get why they call themselves Anonymous…extreme cleverness with a touch of irony or just plain lack of imagination. So who’s doing the harassment and who’s employing Machiavellian tactics? Yeah this story reads like a thriller.
Seriously tho, what I find more interesting in all this, a sorta sticky issue for me is the potential libellous activity in the web and the violation of copyright laws. Do you think that copyright laws should be scrapped altogether, that anyone can plagiarise, modify, broadcast etc anything that is after all posted already in the web without permission from the rightful owner…just classify everything within the public domain? How effective then is the enforcement of these laws…..is it only when the allegedly offended party is as big as this church of scientology who’s got the financial resources and the legal guns? Can anybody just print or post anything deleterious, libellous etc. and claim this as freedom of expression?
casandra