Is Anonymous a terrorist group

[InnerRebellion]

I love the people who like to generalize Anonymous with /b/. There is a difference.

Technically, on the internet, we are all anonymous. But those in the Anonymous group have no internet identity.

 

[Scarecrow]

Well, I don't think terrorists were out to promote freedom of speech and get publicity. No, anonymous are mostly just self-righteous internet trolls.

Yeah...that's about it. Next question.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Yes, the things they did count as web terrorism.

Taking down a website that can be brought back online i would hardly call that web terrorism compared to an actual terrorist killing someone who cannot be brought back online.

I indulge in the idea that they do what they do for freedom of speech because yes they do happen to troll a lot but they don't back down like the hippies did in the 60's when they faced the tasers and riot squads.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Erm... I thought Anonymous was 4chan...

They live in more sites than one...

OT: Not really, they don't have any clear goals. More like sporadic vigilantes than anything else.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

Although I thought part of being a terrorist was to take a more violent approach to things.

That's because it's simple. What easier way is there to scare or intimidate someone than with violence?

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

Actually more like People that just want to fuck with everyone because the definition of Terrorism is using Terror to get a certain Agenda done like the IRA or the Taliban, if anything their just Anarchistic Ruffians. :/

 

[feather240]

Yes, some of them are terrorists, no they are not a group.

Yes, the things they did count as web terrorism.

Taking down a website that can be brought back online i would hardly call that web terrorism compared to an actual terrorist killing someone who cannot be brought back online.

I indulge in the idea that they do what they do for freedom of speech because yes they do happen to troll a lot but they don't back down like the hippies did in the 60's when they faced the tasers and riot squads.

"Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion." Yes, they are terrorists.

What is terrorism? If terrorism is simply the act of threatening with violence, using violence or illegal methods to achieve your goals while attracting government attention, then congratulations, the entire American government was founded by terrorists. Define what terrorism is, and then get back to me about Anonymous.

The only difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist is perspective.

"Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion." Freedom fighters are still, usually, terrorists. It isn't just a label, it's a word with a precise definition.

Anonymous is a bunch of idiots that protest for free speech while using their free speech to make death threats and spread fuckstupid idiocy.

They could be great if they didn't suck so much.

Your diction and tone undermine your message.

 

[Dark Knifer]

Although I thought part of being a terrorist was to take a more violent approach to things.

That's because it's simple. What easier way is there to scare or intimidate someone than with violence?

Uh... The internet? You know, since anonymous is a terrorist group apparently...

 

[Spacelord]

OP pretty much said it himself: it's an amorphous group.

I think the biggest mistake you can make is giving Anonymous an identity the way they like to give it to themselves. Anonymous is more a social phenomenon than it is a group or even a thing. Give a bunch of dudes anonimity and a forum to act out on and that's what you get. Under those circumstances, we're ALL Anonymous in one way or another.

All you hear from them though is their best and worst - everything else is just what we all do behind our avatars: faffing about. The only difference between the Escapist and 4chan is a degree of accountability.

Think about it this way: if this forum were the same, only they took away your account name, profile and most if not all forms of moderation, what'd it look like?

 

[_Cake_]

I HAVE NO CLUE. I can't figure it what/who anonymous is, or what they did, why they are famous or even if it's good or bad.

I guess that's what happens when you don't watch the tv or read the news.

 

[feather240]

Anonymous is a bunch of idiots that protest for free speech while using their free speech to make death threats and spread fuckstupid idiocy.

They could be great if they didn't suck so much.

Your diction and tone undermine your message.

Coolio.

Tell me where you got your powers.

Horse steroids, lots of horse steroids.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

"Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion." Yes, they are terrorists.

Cool story bro.

 

[Zhukov]

Only if you're terrified by the prospect having your website taken down for a few hours.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Only if you're terrified by the prospect having your website taken down for a few hours.

If i had a website taken down i would probably move on and bring it back up its not like the end of the world to be honest.

 

[kikon9]

I'd say that they are not "terrorists" at all.

They certainly are vigilantes, though.

I wouldn't call them vigilantes. A vigilante is somebody who takes the law into their own hands and isn't an actual officer of the law. Anonymous does nothing in the way of taking the law into their own hands to accomplish and end. Anonymous on the other hand, they just harass people and disrupt websites.

 

[spartan1077]

A terrorist is:a radical who employs terror as a weapon

Watch what you say, anonymous has eyes and ears everywhere....

I've written out some scathing things about Anonymous a couple times in this box and deleted them because I was afraid of possible reprisal.

So, yeah.

They are.

No, but they are terrifying... in a sad kind of way...

I rest my case.

 

[senataur]

Define Terrorist!

By my thinking it is a person or group who uses indiscriminate acts of violence or murder to push a political, religious or social agenda.

So by that reasoning no. Anonymous is not a terrorist group. Neither is Julian Assange for that matter. The tendency for politicians to label anyone working against their views as a terrorist is disgrace. Thankfully it reveals, for those of us possessed by a brain cell or two, who the idiotic idealogs are.

 

[senataur]

A terrorist is:a radical who employs terror as a weapon.

That's a very broad definition. Under that you could easily place nearly every branch of government, armed forces, police etc etc. Remember "Shock and Awe"? What was that if not terrorism?

 

[strangemoose]

Nope, they're just a bunch of kids who've watched V for Vendetta too many times.

ive READ V for vendetta a dozen times and im not for raiding your boards

 

[Sneeze]

No, as a group, they are not. But as a group, like any group, they have extremists. A select few members of the group do take shit too far. Some of them are bastards, some of them are just channing out of boredom or just for a cheap laugh, it wouldn't be fair to label all of them as cyber terrorists.

Besides, not all of the stuff they have done is bad, the kid to beat the shit out of his cat on youtube? Brought down by 4chan and taken to the police, there's a few similar stories of them finding criminals and the likes. They take it too far sometimes but not everything they do it completely wrong. And if you ask me Jessie Slaughter needed taking down a peg or twelve.