The Town Square truly is digital. While reading about internet activists overwhelming government servers in an act of protest I was reminded of the group "Anonymous". As I researched it I began to realize how the redefinition of Space has forced our language to change. Instead of marching to raise awareness for a cause or blocking access to a building, which may or may not have a direct affect on operations, activists are instead able to effectively shut something down. If people have to worry about their information being stolen then networks such as Facebook or Sony will be forced to change their operating procedures, or if the CIA can have its system breached, then what faith will people have in its ability to protect the nation from cyber attacks?
Their is one thing, though, that bothers me more than anything, and that is responsibility. I am a fan of people who are willing to sacrifice much in order to inform the public or draw attention of weaknesses in systems we rely on, but if this is being done in someones living room and they never have to stand up for their beliefs does it not cheapen their stand? American's right to assemble peacefully is something that we must never take for granted, and if we are able to do this without ever having to truly defend what we believe then I think that is exactly what we are doing.
So many people in countries that lack freedom of speech and expression sacrifice their lives in order to take a stand, and even though so much of internet activism can be more effective at getting your point across I cant help but wonder if we are changing the very definition of protest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LulzSec
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anonymous_(group)
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