The simple fact is that there have ALWAYS been super hackers (since computers began connecting to one-another) and Anon simply gives a lot of these individuals that power to act as if they're in a coalition "fighting for the freedom of speech". Which is bull, anon is anyone at any given time who choses to be associated with the Internet (4chan in particular).
I don't really take the "political" aspect seriously since many Anons like to come together and release announcements to the press thinking they're acting in a kind of "Anarchist Internet collective" or whatever. Again, this is irrelevant...anyone can hack or troll under that name... I could claim to be posting this as "anon" if the Escapist allowed that).
"Anons" -people who call themselves this when they do things unrelated to "hacktavism"(which is still a pretty grey area in of itself)- generally don't really do much service to Internet or consumer rights/freedom really. They usually act in their own selfish consumer driven interest to attain free stuff, embarrass/troll innocent people,and because they think the Internet grants them godlike powers over the fate of companies or a person's reputation that they've chosen to attack, they run amok until the authorities eventually track them down or get so scared that they lay low after words.
I don't really take the "political" aspect seriously since many Anons like to come together and release announcements to the press thinking they're acting in a kind of "Anarchist Internet collective" or whatever. Again, this is irrelevant...anyone can hack or troll under that name... I could claim to be posting this as "anon" if the Escapist allowed that).
"Anons" -people who call themselves this when they do things unrelated to "hacktavism"(which is still a pretty grey area in of itself)- generally don't really do much service to Internet or consumer rights/freedom really. They usually act in their own selfish consumer driven interest to attain free stuff, embarrass/troll innocent people,and because they think the Internet grants them godlike powers over the fate of companies or a person's reputation that they've chosen to attack, they run amok until the authorities eventually track them down or get so scared that they lay low after words.