Having done a significant amount of research about this topic previously, this experience wasn't as informative as it was useful for my future implementation. I knew that Anonymous was a prolific hacktivist group with the core intention of being the "robin hood of the internet". They decide with their own volition what is legitimate or illegitimate, and use pseudo-legal to illegal means of confronting these concerns.
Prior to this assignment, I had never heard of Anonymous. During my research, I learned that they are a “hacktivist” group that opposes Internet censorship and control, and whose attacks mainly target governments, organizations, and corporations that they accuse of censorship. The group first appeared on the imageboard 4chan, and its members, called “Anons”, can be seen in public wearing Guy Fawkes masks.
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.
In approaching my research about Anonymous I had only a very sketchy idea of what the actual structure of the organization was. In my preliminary study, it's clear that is exactly how they want it. Their website (although it's difficult to tell what can actually be attributed to Anonymous because of it's entirely decentralized structure) reads: "Anonymous is not an organization nor a group. Anonymous is an idea. And ideas can not die. Therefore EVERYONE can be Anonymous. Just spread truth, share any post, video or tweet of Anonymous.