Article 1 - Jack Miles

Prior to the first studio session, my knowledge of Anonymous was limited. I was aware that they were a controversial hackivist group, but I was not aware that they played a role in so many events of recent years. Events such as Ferguson, Missouri, the attacks on Charlie Hebdo the Church of Scientology, and other smaller hacking scandals have all been linked to the group, not to mention the fact that they declared their own war on terror. Additionally, I was not aware of how closely tied the group is to social media. Not only do they have a Twitter, Youtube, and Facebook account, but they are also responsible for exposing others' wrongdoing over these accounts. One of the most recent examples is that they announced 9200 Twitter accounts that belonged to people who had ties to terrorism, such as ISIS, and who were trying to recruit others. This type of vigilante justice is represented by the Guy Fawkes mask that covers the members' faces to keep their identities hidden. Additionally, their Robin Hood-esque personas could originate from their beginnings on the website 4chan. Although the controversial website has had its share of issues, there have been various instances where the community has come across some type of outrageous behavior and garnered support until they have eliminated the problem themselves. Although this may not be the most politically correct manner of justice, researching Anonymous has shown me that they are extremely effective at what they do, for better or worse.