what are we? we’re not an organization, we’re not a group, we’re a “gathering”
Yesterday “Anonymous” put out an official press release (pdf here). It’s interesting how the group is wrestling with it’s collective self-definition, external framing, etc:
Anonymous is not a group, but rather an Internet gathering.
Then the group (sorry) gathering openly alludes to some internal issues and its structure (spelling mistake not mine):
Both Anonymous and the media that is covering it are aware of the percieved dissent between individuals in the gathering. This does not, however, mean that the command structure of Anonymous is failing for a simple reason: Anonymous has a very loose and decentralized command structure that operates on ideas rather than directives.
Then some movement-ish language, physics metaphor and some claims about the novelty of the form:
We do not believe that a similar movement exists in the world today and as such we have to learn by trial and error. We are now in the process of better communicating some core values to the individual atoms that comprise Anonymous – we also want to take this opportunity to communicate a message to the media, so that the average Internet Citizen can get to know who we are and what we represent.
Good stuff!
Someone out there (anonymous PhD student looking for a killer topic/context/something interesting): this dissertation is writing itself.
teppo
December 11, 2010 at 9:10 pm
If you want to see something really interesting, watch this documentary on Wikileaks, especially the part about Iceland. Apparently in the midst of the financial crisis in Iceland, Wikileaks published a leak showing that the crisis was partly due to cronyism, dishonesty and poor regulatory control at a big Icelandic bank. The result was that Assange and co. were invited to Iceland to speak on national TV, where they suggested a new model for Iceland’s economy: turn the country into a centre for journalism and freedom of the press. As far as I can tell from the documentary, some Wikileaks people then helped draft a law on free expression, which was passed unanimously by the Icelandic parliament (a very unusual event).
Benjamin Geer
December 11, 2010 at 9:35 pm
From the press release: “…It is a symbolic action – as blogger and academic Evgeny Morozov put it, a ‘legitimate expression of dissent’.”
The anonymous group/gathering might get a serious shot of additional legitimacy if it cited some of our resident orgtheory experts on protest, extrainstitutional influence, collective action and social movements. Just sayin’.
teppo
December 12, 2010 at 12:19 am
I’ve been watching these folks grow for a while now, taking numerous notes along the way. As a recent BA graduate in Sociology and hoping to find my way into graduate school, this is a topic I have been interested in exploring for some time. The various forms of “Anonymous” which have sprung up over the past couple of years have at one point or another discovered that attempting to establish a command structure with absolute control is difficult at best, and seems to fall prey to splintering.
A great example of this was when recently the Pirate Parties asked Anonops to stop Operation Payback, which in their initial response they agreed to stop. Shortly thereafter, a number of anons issued their own declaration that Anonops had erred, and that they were not beholden to such ideals of “leadership” (can’t find the exact releases here, Anonops website is down). This is what I call being “not your personal armied,” a rule of sorts to anonymous ideals. Quickly anonops stated in a second letter that they had been mistaken, and that Operation Payback would not cease.
Some really interesting stuff here.
mostyghosty
December 12, 2010 at 12:38 am
And, of course, the video (this might make you think that someone in Hollywood is punking us): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpwVfl3m32w
The video also has additional self-definition, identity, movement-ish talk.
teppo
December 12, 2010 at 5:41 am
Looks like there is some serious organizational forming in retrospect by Anon. Quite interesting to see how a group/gathering that does not follow formal organizational principles is trying to define itself in a way that makes them (at least look) similar to an organization… has a command structure, but that is loose and decentralized.
Hari Bapuji
December 12, 2010 at 11:49 pm
The Op-anon twitter feed is available again (it was suspended for a while) — http://twitter.com/Op_anon
Also, check out http://anonops.socialgo.com/
teppo
December 13, 2010 at 1:53 am
NYU anthropologist Gabriella Coleman has been doing some great work studying Anonymous. I’m not sure if any of it is published yet but she’s been blogging and writing more popular press articles on the whole thing. Here’s a link from NYU to a few things she’s written up recently:
http://blogs.nyu.edu/blogs/dbw1/ataglance/2010/12/beilla_coleman_takes_on_wikile.html
Benjamin Mako Hill
December 19, 2010 at 7:38 am
I’m surprised no one seems to have looked at the age and social background of the people involved in Anonymous. Doesn’t it seem as if they’re probably teenagers?
Benjamin Geer
December 19, 2010 at 3:37 pm