4 ms·

Those engaging in these activities are not being disobedient, they're outright breaking the law for their own amusement.

Naga 16y ago
Civil disobedience is breaking laws, or government directives, that you don't think are just. It is definitely breaking the law, but many people and thinkers see it as a valid form of resistance to unjust laws and governments. I'm not sure how well it applies to this case, but civil disobedience in general is more than just "boys being boys".
- jacquesm 16y ago
  I no longer have a dutch passport. This is because the dutch government has decided that all applicants need to present their fingerprints on application and these will be stored in some database. This is against my feelings on how a state ought to be run and because of that I have decided to break the law. This affects me and nobody else. If there is a price to pay (fine, jail time) I will be the one paying it, nobody else. I think the big difference between civil disobedience and vandalism is that in the case of civil disobedience you are prepared to pay that price. In this case the moniker 'Anon' indicates to me that the people who are doing this at a minimum hope that they will get away with it without paying the price. The dutch police are showing that that is not the case, it remains to be seen how eager and open the remainder of this group is to continue. If they sign each packet with their name then more power to them.
- coderdude 16y ago
  So they believe that not being allowed to DDoS is unjust? Otherwise I don't see how civil disobedience applies here.
  - pyre 16y ago
    Illegal sit-ins are often used as a form of protest. Would you claim that the protesters are protesting the fact that sit-ins are illegal (with a straight face)?
ramchip 16y ago
What makes you so certain of their motives?
- steveklabnik 16y ago
  Because that's what they say they're doing? They've been comparing themselves to a sit-in for a while now.

Naga 16y ago

Civil disobedience is breaking laws, or government directives, that you don't think are just. It is definitely breaking the law, but many people and thinkers see it as a valid form of resistance to unjust laws and governments. I'm not sure how well it applies to this case, but civil disobedience in general is more than just "boys being boys".

jacquesm 16y ago
I no longer have a dutch passport. This is because the dutch government has decided that all applicants need to present their fingerprints on application and these will be stored in some database. This is against my feelings on how a state ought to be run and because of that I have decided to break the law. This affects me and nobody else. If there is a price to pay (fine, jail time) I will be the one paying it, nobody else. I think the big difference between civil disobedience and vandalism is that in the case of civil disobedience you are prepared to pay that price. In this case the moniker 'Anon' indicates to me that the people who are doing this at a minimum hope that they will get away with it without paying the price. The dutch police are showing that that is not the case, it remains to be seen how eager and open the remainder of this group is to continue. If they sign each packet with their name then more power to them.
coderdude 16y ago
So they believe that not being allowed to DDoS is unjust? Otherwise I don't see how civil disobedience applies here.
- pyre 16y ago
  Illegal sit-ins are often used as a form of protest. Would you claim that the protesters are protesting the fact that sit-ins are illegal (with a straight face)?

ramchip 16y ago

What makes you so certain of their motives?

steveklabnik 16y ago
Because that's what they say they're doing? They've been comparing themselves to a sit-in for a while now.