Blog #2 - Michael Starks

As I anticipated, this class is evolving into a fantastic learning experience. Each week is opening new perspectives for me in terms of ethical understanding. Of particular meaning to me were our discussions on hacking / hactivism. This topic is particularly sensitive to me. I used to be a member of an elite group in Germany. To make a long story short, I was ostracized from that group in a very painful manner. Week 6 brought back those pains. My ethical beliefs regarding hacking were tainted through a series of unfortunate events in my past.
After reading the material, I began to question my own moral issues pertaining to hacking / hactivism. The readings in Tavani, specifically the analysis' from Manion, Goodrum, and Dennig in chapter 6 gave support to my beliefs, but they were missing something. As I viewed the interviews with Woz and Captain Crunch, a light went off in my brain. Anonymous and their ilk were being confused with true hackers. Hacking and Phreaking are pure forms of information assimilation and as such, they should be embraced and accepted. We have our own ethics that have apparently been forgotten by groups such as Anonymous. I still do not condone what Anonymous does, even if it is for a "good cause" due to the destructive nature of their actions. They are in violation of one of the most important rules of true hackers; "Do no harm."
"Do no harm", these three words mean quite a bit to most of us. They mean much for Julian Assange as well. I have long been a fan of Mr. Assange because of what he does; he provides information on the injustices of governments and companies against the common people. Most people do not want to hear about these things as it does not pertain to them. I see this as selfish ignorance. If there is wrong in the world and we know about it, it is our responsibility to expose that wrong in an effort to prevent it from happening again. I understand what Mr. Assange means with his seemingly contradictive collateral damage assertion; the damage is directed towards the aggressor. Their original actions are the root cause of any subsequent damage that may be incurred. The simple resolution for this; do not try and hide your actions and above all, do not break your own laws. The actions of the various world governments against WikiLeaks seems to validate the fact the they are hiding much more from us than we know.
Earlier this year, revolts in Tunisia, Egypt, and more recently Libya were fueled in part through the extensive use of social media. I am not sure if I believe all of what has happened or why it has happened. I view social media as being quite similar to a childhood game where you all sit in a circle and whisper something to the person next to you. By the time the information gets back to you, it is quite different from what you had originally said. As our current discussion transpires, I am beginning to question the validity of the uprisings. Were they fabricated by a small group in an effort to gain control over their respective governments? Did all of this start to get attention? I once believed that these uprisings were legitimate; now I am not sure anymore.