5 ms·

Hacker group draws increased scrutiny from feds

15 points by gibsonf1 15y ago

wccrawford 15y ago
It was inevitable that they would go after hackers that do illegal things, but I wonder if they are prepared to handle what Anonymous really is? It's not enough to prove that someone is in Anonymous... They have to have prove the person actually did some hacking for it. Anyone can -say- they are in Anonymous without having any idea what others are doing under the name. The article notes they have no leaders... But they also have no member list or any real organization at all, beyond what pops up spontaneously for each cause. You can't say any 2 hacks are related to each other unless you can prove the same people were in on them... Which is the opposite of how they usually do it. It's going to be ugly.
mentat 15y ago
Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government. Seeing the posters and the real impact in San Francisco, you can't just call it a "hacker group". At least in some areas they are approaching "movement".
- SoftwareMaven 15y ago
  I came to make this same response. If the gov is treating Anonymous like they would treat the mob or a terrorist group, they've got it all wrong. Anonymous is an adjective not a noun.
  - pspeter3 15y ago
    What reaction do you think the government should take then?
    - mentat 15y ago
      Actually try to understand and address the grievances? There's a substantial part of the country who feels like they've been left behind and they're not that far from becoming violent. Throwing a bunch of fraud committing bankers in jail for breaking the laws that are on the books right now would be a start. If people don't believe that the laws apply to everyone anymore then they're not going to be interested in keeping them.
      - cjdavis 15y ago
        This is as likely and will be taken as seriously as the possibility of addressing the grievances of the people that committed 9/11. To continue the over-generalization - that Anonymous has not (yet) claimed responsibility for any violent acts is the only thing separating the two in the eyes of the government (and the general public.)
        deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
        mentat 15y ago
        Anonymous, the hacker group, is not synonymous with people who are sympathetic is some of their real world actions. The best way to separate the pure anarchic core from people who are just pissed would be to address some of the most obvious injustices currently perceived by Anonymous' target audience. If we're really at the point at which it's impossible to recognize differences of opinion, or more specifically, belief that laws should be upheld as a "grievance" then things are much worse than I thought.
        wnight 15y ago
        > This is as likely and will be taken as seriously as the possibility of addressing the grievances of the people that committed 9/11. And this is why things will continue to happen to you without your understanding. > that Anonymous has not (yet) claimed responsibility for any violent acts is the only thing separating the two in the eyes of the government (and the general public. That you have (yet) to rape someone (or perhaps only to be caught for it) is the only thing separating you from a rapist in the eyes of the public. What was your point? The government though is a different story, they don't have an opinion, they have spin. If something weakens the USA's unjust power, the government is against it. If it helps them, they're for it. Sociopaths will say anything.
      - rick888 15y ago
        "Actually try to understand and address the grievances?" When the people of Anonymous decide to act like civilized adults rather than teen-angst laden teenagers, I might start to agree with you. The group reminds me of many people I see on Reddit that can't get their way and their only response to this is anti-social and childish behavior.
- sliverstorm 15y ago
  Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government I get the impression that often 'being fed up with the government' is just a label for 'people who want to cause trouble'.
  - DenisM 15y ago
    I take it you do not look kindly on the American revolutionists either? Because they sure were fed up with King George governance. :)
    - sliverstorm 15y ago
      You misunderstand me. What I mean is, I can't help but get the impression many of the 'activists' under the name Anonymous are no different from vandals who go around smashing windows and leaving graffiti- they have just found a new venue.
      - nitrogen 15y ago
        Even if that's the case, there's still the question of why those people become vandals in the first place, and whether there's some tiny deficency in society that, if addressed, would prevent vandalism years before it occurs.
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
  - nitrogen 15y ago
    Contented people usually don't cause trouble.
    - sliverstorm 15y ago
      Discontent is not automatically the government's doing.
      - 15y ago
- Estragon 15y ago
  > Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government. I'm fed up with the government, and I don't identify with Anonymous.
  - wnight 15y ago
    Nobody identifies anonymous, that's the point of the masks. Ohh... Um, sure. Which anonymous people don't you agree with?
- bonch 15y ago
  > Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government. Anonymous is just a label for naive college kids lashing out at authority, a cliche as old as time.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

15 points by gibsonf1 15y ago

It was inevitable that they would go after hackers that do illegal things, but I wonder if they are prepared to handle what Anonymous really is? It's not enough to prove that someone is in Anonymous... They have to have prove the person actually did some hacking for it. Anyone can -say- they are in Anonymous without having any idea what others are doing under the name. The article notes they have no leaders... But they also have no member list or any real organization at all, beyond what pops up spontaneously for each cause. You can't say any 2 hacks are related to each other unless you can prove the same people were in on them... Which is the opposite of how they usually do it. It's going to be ugly.

mentat 15y ago

Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government. Seeing the posters and the real impact in San Francisco, you can't just call it a "hacker group". At least in some areas they are approaching "movement".

SoftwareMaven 15y ago
I came to make this same response. If the gov is treating Anonymous like they would treat the mob or a terrorist group, they've got it all wrong. Anonymous is an adjective not a noun.
- pspeter3 15y ago
  What reaction do you think the government should take then?
  - mentat 15y ago
    Actually try to understand and address the grievances? There's a substantial part of the country who feels like they've been left behind and they're not that far from becoming violent. Throwing a bunch of fraud committing bankers in jail for breaking the laws that are on the books right now would be a start. If people don't believe that the laws apply to everyone anymore then they're not going to be interested in keeping them.
    - cjdavis 15y ago
      This is as likely and will be taken as seriously as the possibility of addressing the grievances of the people that committed 9/11. To continue the over-generalization - that Anonymous has not (yet) claimed responsibility for any violent acts is the only thing separating the two in the eyes of the government (and the general public.)
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
      - mentat 15y ago
        Anonymous, the hacker group, is not synonymous with people who are sympathetic is some of their real world actions. The best way to separate the pure anarchic core from people who are just pissed would be to address some of the most obvious injustices currently perceived by Anonymous' target audience. If we're really at the point at which it's impossible to recognize differences of opinion, or more specifically, belief that laws should be upheld as a "grievance" then things are much worse than I thought.
      - wnight 15y ago
        > This is as likely and will be taken as seriously as the possibility of addressing the grievances of the people that committed 9/11. And this is why things will continue to happen to you without your understanding. > that Anonymous has not (yet) claimed responsibility for any violent acts is the only thing separating the two in the eyes of the government (and the general public. That you have (yet) to rape someone (or perhaps only to be caught for it) is the only thing separating you from a rapist in the eyes of the public. What was your point? The government though is a different story, they don't have an opinion, they have spin. If something weakens the USA's unjust power, the government is against it. If it helps them, they're for it. Sociopaths will say anything.
    - rick888 15y ago
      "Actually try to understand and address the grievances?" When the people of Anonymous decide to act like civilized adults rather than teen-angst laden teenagers, I might start to agree with you. The group reminds me of many people I see on Reddit that can't get their way and their only response to this is anti-social and childish behavior.
sliverstorm 15y ago
Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government I get the impression that often 'being fed up with the government' is just a label for 'people who want to cause trouble'.
- DenisM 15y ago
  I take it you do not look kindly on the American revolutionists either? Because they sure were fed up with King George governance. :)
  - sliverstorm 15y ago
    You misunderstand me. What I mean is, I can't help but get the impression many of the 'activists' under the name Anonymous are no different from vandals who go around smashing windows and leaving graffiti- they have just found a new venue.
    - nitrogen 15y ago
      Even if that's the case, there's still the question of why those people become vandals in the first place, and whether there's some tiny deficency in society that, if addressed, would prevent vandalism years before it occurs.
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
- nitrogen 15y ago
  Contented people usually don't cause trouble.
  - sliverstorm 15y ago
    Discontent is not automatically the government's doing.
    - 15y ago
Estragon 15y ago
> Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government. I'm fed up with the government, and I don't identify with Anonymous.
- wnight 15y ago
  Nobody identifies anonymous, that's the point of the masks. Ohh... Um, sure. Which anonymous people don't you agree with?
bonch 15y ago
> Anonymous is just a label for people who are fed up with the government. Anonymous is just a label for naive college kids lashing out at authority, a cliche as old as time.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]