Operation Blackout

[DTH1337]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17472447

According to this article, there is apparently another threat being made by the hacktivist group Anonymous, which they call 'Operation Blackout', in which they have stated that they will stop the internet on March 31st.

I know Anonymous can take websites and certain services offline, but this, I don't believe they could ever stop the internet. Maybe for a few hours with a DDOS attack, maybe. Even so, I don't believe they have what it takes to do this. I mean, this is the same group that claimed they would take Fox News down on November 5th of last year, and they never did (taking their Twitter feed offline doesn't count). I know that the internet and Fox News are different things, but I just believe that there are certain things that Anonymous always claim to do, but then cave in and deliver no results in the end.

What do you think? Think this is something they would actually do? Or could it be another group of hackers "claiming" to represent Anonymous, but are actually different, and if so, could this really happen? Leave comments below and tell me your opinions on this matter.

 

[Doclector]

Well, I read the article, and it seems plausible that it could happen. Probably not for long, mind you, but it could happen. The question is; Why?

I know some parts anons are merely agents of chaos. They revel in disorder, in flipping the proverbial table, but in bringing down the internet, they'd effectively bring down anonymous. Without a functional internet, both the hacktivists and rebels are without any means to do their activities. Why would either kind of anon do that?

The possibility occurs of it being an outsider, but somebody with enough expertise to supposedly bring down the internet probably wouldn't have the motive to either. This would be someone who has worked with computers for a long time, why would such a person wish to see them all reduced to mere word processors.

 

[Ectoplasmicz]

Plausible, but if it did happen, it would only be for a short amount of time. And quite frankly I doubt it will happen. Really, I'm getting sick of them now.

 

[ShindoL Shill]

The whole internet?
All of it?
I call shenanigans.
Internet is too big.
... then again Yahtzee (and probably LRR too) can cripple the Escapist every Wednesday with 5 minutes of content each...

 

[Dandark]

Oh noez, not anon.
Didn't they threaten to do this exact thing a little while ago?

 

[Esotera]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

They don't have any reason to do it, as they'll lose any popularity they had amongst anyone. Not to mention that they almost certainly don't have the technical prowess to do something like this...DDOSing only works if you have enough people, and if they can't take amazon or facebook, they can't take down the whole internet. It's a PR move.

 

[DTH1337]

Plausible, but if it did happen, it would only be for a short amount of time. And quite frankly I doubt it will happen. Really, I'm getting sick of them now.

I know the feeling. I've been sick of them since the start of last year.