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Tuesday, 22 February 2011

Anonymous claims WBC planted Open Letter

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends

Round 2 of the Anonymous versus Westboro Baptist: An Open Letter From an Anonymii claims that Westboro Baptist planted the cease and desist to leverage the publicity Anonymous is receiving. The letter doesn't reveal how Anonymous came to this conclusion (surely the mechanics/forensics should be within the skill sets of some members).

We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside

Subsequent posts (1, 2) from yet another member questions the usefulness (and potential downside) of DDoSing WBC. In a 20 February post, however, an open letter from allegedly 20 Anonymous members claims "we're a bit groggy and don't remember sending it". This and several subsequent posts intimate that WBC was attempting to lure the group to a honeypot (trap).

There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along

WBC doesn't seem to have a response yet. However, a 20 February 2011 Anonymous press release describes the WBC event as evidence that the groups efforts have devolved into "trolls trolling on trolls", that "the most idiotic of trolls are controlling our actions", "the chaos has gone too far" and this post, at least, asks the group is setting the kill switch. 

A kill switch in an open posting environment is like an Internet kill switch: interesting in concept, challenging in implementation. The posting continues but sorting wheat from chaff is an increasing challenge.

Come inside, the show's about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart
Rest assured you'll get your money's worth
The greatest show in Heaven, Hell or Earth
You've got to see the show, it's a dynamo
You've got to see the show, it's rock and roll,

Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, 1974

PTBarnum, from Library of Congress

See also:
Anonymous vs. Westboro Baptist Church: Nobody's right when everybody's wrong
The Trouble with being Anonymous: the inconstant "we"

Posted at 09:19 AM |

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