What's in a Name?

There is something exciting about not having your name attached to things - and there is something freeing about no one having to know about your humanitarian efforts if they seem controversial. On most 'protest' websites, you can sign petitions anonymously in order to show support while remaining hidden from your peers.

Because of this feature, I believe people find themselves signing more, caring more, reading more about things that they might not if everyone could follow their string of internet-humanitarian efforts on Facebook or other platforms.

This concept of anonymity being the key to people caring or putting effort in is the main concept behind the hacktivist group Anonymous. Like most internet trends, the group is very difficult to define, but they garner both hype and hysteria from the general public in their liberal efforts. They have hacked cops, churches, found the identities of rapists, etc. But, the way the come to gather their information is deemed to be weak. But, what else can be done? If not them, then who?

There are definite negatives to the group/movement, but there are some great positives to note. The fact that anyone can be apart of it, for example. I am no hacker, but I can support their group, or bring things to their attention, or just be apart of a general movement on the internet to gain recognition for the topic in question (hashtivism).

What's also great about them is that they punish people in an internet version of tarring and feathering. Sometimes that is what is needed, truly, for some of these perpetrators of violence and discrimination if the local police or government don't feel the need to do anything. What Anonymous does is gives people power to stand up and call others out on their bullshit - we can gather together and publicly shame someone who doesn't stand for the greater good, showing ourselves and others what our values are and what happens when you go against that in a usually-horrible way.

This may make it seem extremist, or like a cult, but without it, we would be a passive group lead by an (at times) ignorant government, or aimlessly following celebs who are ignorant of important issues. At least, through groups like Anonymous, we can lead ourselves, even if we don't leave our computer rooms to do so.