We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency by Parmy Olson

Aug 08, 2012 Eris rated it 4 of 5 stars

The "true crime" section is an interesting read if you know at least a little bit about a)internet culture, b)anonymous/lulzsec and c)hackology. You don't have to be an expert, it's probably better if you aren't (experts may get bored in the explanations). The evolution of the hivemind is an interesting thing to watch, as are the "normal" human protective behaviors that tend to remain in the individuals even when they are immersed in it... at least, in SOME individuals. I'm sure in the future we...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jun 23, 2012 Murdo Morrison rated it 5 of 5 stars

We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency is a book that is compelling and hard to put down. I have been using the Internet since before the emergence of the World Wide Web. Like many others I use social media and enjoy the convenience and connection to information and other resources that the Internet makes possible. Author Parmy Olson details the many harmful things that are also made possible.

The book's main theme focuses on the activitie...more We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency is a book that is compelling and hard to put down. I have been using the Internet since before the emergence of the World Wide Web. Like many others I use social media and enjoy the convenience and connection to information and other resources that the Internet makes possible. Author Parmy Olson details the many harmful things that are also made possible.

The book's main theme focuses on the activities of a loosely organized and changing online community of hackers known to the public as Anonymous and on a smaller subset of six that form LulzSec. The author details how the group formed and paints fascinating portraits of a very diverse set of personalities.

The book, for me, also raises a plethora of issues related to society as a whole. While the acts of the hackers are certainly criminal and do considerable harm to companies and individuals, the book also raises questions about the role and possible culpability of companies, media and even government. Many of the systems hacked into appear carelessly vulnerable. The media, with a few exceptions, appear gullible and predisposed to the disinformation fed to them by the hackers.

At one point, when a member of LulzSec is located by the FBI and decides to cooperate, the book suggests that the law law enforcement agency stands by while a company called Stratfor is hacked into, in the interests of locating and arresting the other members of the group. This raises the question whether there is a definitional component to notions of criminality. Is a warrantless wiretap or ignoring a crime in progress any less culpable than the actions of the hackers?

For many years I have cautioned friends and colleagues to pay more attention to online security. The responses have generally been dismissive. Some have questioned why anyone would care about their online activity. The book provides an object lesson in exactly why they should care. Descriptions in the book of how easily Twitter and Facebook accounts are hacked, or mention of rogue Facebook applications, should reinforce my point.

We are Anonymous is a book that anyone, which means most of us, who is on the Internet should read.

Murdo Morrison (less)

2 likes · like · see review

Sep 05, 2012 Anna Janelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

If I could give this book six stars, I would - without hesitation. I thoroughly loved and learned so much about the infamous group Anonymous that I am considering doing a research project (an online pathfinder) required for my MSLS on the subject. Author Parmy Olson not only described the gritty details surrounding the more well-known hacks (PayPal, Scientology, Sony and the Westboro Baptist Church) but also provided an in-depth look into the culture and individuals responsible for the action. A...more If I could give this book six stars, I would - without hesitation. I thoroughly loved and learned so much about the infamous group Anonymous that I am considering doing a research project (an online pathfinder) required for my MSLS on the subject. Author Parmy Olson not only described the gritty details surrounding the more well-known hacks (PayPal, Scientology, Sony and the Westboro Baptist Church) but also provided an in-depth look into the culture and individuals responsible for the action. As it turns out, the inner operational core of Anonymous was not so anonymous after all; a number of individuals associated with the online attacks were discovered and prosecuted for their involvement. This book focuses on several more-influential members of the loosely associated group Anonymous: Topiary (I <3 Jake Davis - he was my favorite character in the book - clever, young, and charming) Kayla (I could not wait to find out who THE Kayla really was) and Sabu (not going to lie, not a huge fan for reasons that become obvious after reading the whole book).

Being a member of the net-generation (I believe that my family first gained access to the internet as we know it when I was in sixth grade), I can relate to much of the desensitization and "hivemind" mentality that occurs on the internet. I can also empathize with the desire to obscure one's personal details when relating to other individuals online, but the paucity of online laws and regulations seems to encourage a hardness, a callousness, a group-think that isn't present in most people's offline interactions. For the most part, the members that belonged to and comprised the Anonymous group were teenagers or young-adults victimizing or "doxing" other young-adults for the "lulz." When six Anonymous users turned their eyes to very adult organizations or corporations, that's when the trouble (or the fun, depending on your perspective) began for both the group and the internet at large.

For non-fiction, this book is an informative thriller that reads much like a true crime book told from the criminal's perspective. Read it. Read it now. Read it more than once. Then pass it on to your friend (or in my case, make your friends by their own copy and keep them from touching it on your bookshelf because you loved it so much). But, regardless, read and recommend because it is a truly relevant account of something that all internet-users have become acquainted with, if only in passing - the hilarious and harmful impact that Anonymous has had on the internet. Because after all,

description

Special, special, most grateful thanks go to author Parmy Olson and publisher Little, Brown for this GoodRead's First Reads win. I am so pleased that I had the opportunity to read this book because it's sure to be one that I return to in the future for a re-read. I LOVED IT.

Why did I read it and why did I love it so much?

description

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Peter Burnett rated it 4 of 5 stars

A difficult task writing this, even harder getting it out so quickly, but given the interviews with Jake Davis, and some of the other insights it has to be read if you're interested in this subject. You'd think perhaps a more anarchic and less journalistic stlye (like Jake's own style) may be better suited to this story, which is not about Anonymous, and also not about the Global Cyber Insurgency, but for a general reader, I think it's pretty good.

A full on warts and all review can be read here:...more

2 likes · like · see review

Mar 09, 2013 Kevin rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have to preface this by saying that I am an Information Security professional, so this book is probably more interesting to me than someone not in the profession. The book is part chronology and part profiling of a group of a few elite hackers from Anonymous who became LulzSec and targeted many high profile sites. It is a fascinating study. They evolved from being cyber-bullies, social engineers, and eventually activists and hacktivists. Targets were randomly selected, some with good reason (t...more

like · see review

Dec 14, 2012 Priya Chand rated it 4 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this down--the whole twisty labyrinth of hacking is a compelling subject, especially considering how distorted the media view of stuff was. I do use the Internet more than the author, which made some of the explanations like 'faggots is a very common word on 4chan' more amusing than anything else (note: have been on 4chan once, never on /b/, can't be fucked). So from that perspective, it went down a star because the narrative is a lot less compelling when Olson has to take a step...more I couldn't put this down--the whole twisty labyrinth of hacking is a compelling subject, especially considering how distorted the media view of stuff was. I do use the Internet more than the author, which made some of the explanations like 'faggots is a very common word on 4chan' more amusing than anything else (note: have been on 4chan once, never on /b/, can't be fucked). So from that perspective, it went down a star because the narrative is a lot less compelling when Olson has to take a step back and explain something that's eye-rollingly obvious. Also, there are moments when her setting the scene/building human interest trips into hyperbole and, well, 'baww,' but I think this is part of her style.

That said, the chasm between online and offline culture--and the bridge being built between the two--was as interesting a topic to me as the details of what Anonymous has done. For one, in the real world and with media access I just knew that some of this was going on and I've seen the LulzSec logo a few times, without ever connecting it to hacktivism and all that shit, and all this while was this giant swirly mess of people. But how many people? How far can you trust anything online?

"Social engineering" is another buzzword all over the page, and another one I find hard to take seriously. It basically sounds like people figured out the Internet is even more anonymous than reality, so manipulating for information is eight times easier. Duh.

All things aside, though, I do recommend reading this book because it's fascinating, the human narratives are well-paced, and it's a great way to gain perspective on how much the Internet is worth by seeing it through an outsider's eyes (though admittedly one who's got her feet wet; in the footnotes she mentions having learned about 'tits or GTFO' on 4chan firsthand).

This book shouldn't make anyone any more paranoid about the Internet than you already are. If you are surprised by the contents, you should probably get researching.(less)

like · see review

Oct 20, 2012 Jim Lyke rated it 5 of 5 stars

An enthralling account of the emergence of the modern cyber-criminals, such as the infamous Anonymous and LulzSec groups. The phenomenon of network connectivity and Moore's Law (the relentless doubling of computer power every 18-24 months) has allowed single individuals to unleash the ability to shut down the websites of multibillion-dollar organizations in a single instant using labyrinthine mazes of virtual machines (which are like machines within machines), nested anonymizing servers, botnet...more

like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 Ryandake rated it 2 of 5 stars

it's like a whole book of he-said, she-said, relayed third-hand by somebody who is not a native speaker of the language.

i get that it's probably really, really difficult to pin down anybody from Anonymous. it's not like you can insist, like a six-year-old on a playground, that they prove it!

and i believe that this author really did do the best due diligence possible, given the subjects and the fact that they take great joy in pranking people.

but by virtue of the medium (the interwebs) and the...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Tyler rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book reads essentially like a computer thriller. It's a mixture of the real life stories of people involved in Anonymous, written in such a way that you consistently can't wait to see what's on the next page.

I don't know if it's just because I was really interested in Anonymous from the get-go or not, but I loved this. It wasn't drab and dry and boring like some non-fiction tends to be, this moved along at a brisk pace and set up each chapter perfectly. It told its story well, while inform...more

1 like · like · see review

Feb 18, 2013 Martin rated it 3 of 5 stars

I've read other books designed to present an account of a crime as a thrilling tale, however this was rather like a movie about it. It even finishes up with a pensive conversation about the futility of it all over a cup of coffee in an obscure diner. If you, like me, were trying to make a living when the whole Anonymous, LulzSec thing went down. This is a chance to catch up with the story. The events happened just a couple of years ago, ancient history by Internet years, but I found it interesti...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2012 Marcus rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

Parmy Olson has put together the best reporting on Anonymous I have ever seen from a mainstream source. She took the time to really learn about chan culture, hacktivism, trolling, etc. Aside from a few minor mistakes and omissions, her detailed description of the mind-boggling number of memes and jargon surrounding the title group and its origins is accurate yet succinct enough not to overwhelm the uninitiated. It does justice to those very familiar with 4chan and the history of hactivism, but a...more Parmy Olson has put together the best reporting on Anonymous I have ever seen from a mainstream source. She took the time to really learn about chan culture, hacktivism, trolling, etc. Aside from a few minor mistakes and omissions, her detailed description of the mind-boggling number of memes and jargon surrounding the title group and its origins is accurate yet succinct enough not to overwhelm the uninitiated. It does justice to those very familiar with 4chan and the history of hactivism, but avoids becoming unreadable for the outsider.

If you ever wanted to get a real grasp on what, exactly, has been going on over the past several years regarding the leaks of account data, the hacking of governments and banks, the Guy Fawkes masks, and all the other chaotic details surrounding anonymous, Olson's book is the definitive source to date. She has clearly done mountains of research and corroboration on a subject that many media outlets are embarrassingly lazy in covering. And she makes the details fascinating, whether your a nerd or just like a good story.

Olson's humanization of the amoral anonymous culture is accomplished by following a select few individuals in the movement. For the most part this works really well, especially as seemingly unrelated threads begin to weave together in the middle chapters of the book. Occasionally things get too messy and you wonder whether the abrupt introduction of X or Y side character was even necessary, especially when these people rare show up but for a few brief and inconsequential mentions. But overall, the book weaves a tale that could stand up to any fictional thriller, and even when the stakes seem low or the conflict totally irrelevant to "real life," Olson never mocks or condescends towards her characters in the way that the mainstream media so often does on such subjects. And though I had to smirk at her cliche cliff-hangers, I devoured this book, often staying in for "one more page" long after I had intended to put it down. The writing isn't the best, but it's competent and the facts she supplies are more than enough to keep you wanting more.

The book gives a fair shake to both sides of the anonymous story, and although I am a bit suspicious of how easily Olson ultimately shapes her narrative of anonymous's significance and purpose, any over-analysis on her part is pretty clearly due to the necessity of writing a good story, and not to a corporate-favoring agenda (the latter, again, being preferred by her media counterparts). I feel at times that she falls into the same exaggeration as the outlets she often criticizes in the book, but I did not once feel that she cherry-picked her facts or fed me the rumors that agreed with her narrative. My own experience with chan culture and my research on the anonymous phenomenon do not conflict with her data; Olson gets major credit for doing the real detective work and giving us the history of an evolving movement that should stay relevant for years to come.(less)

1 like · like · see review

Dec 02, 2012 Paul Titley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-the-lulz

I'm biased from the outset - the subject matter interests me and a galloped through the book.. I picked this up with a lot of interest in the internet and the murky world of "hacking", but only recalling the names of Anonymous, Lulzsec and having a mild understanding of the work they carried out.

Anonymous and lulzsec created some serious disruption - for example, when taking Paypal offline for a few hours they must have cost the inc $millions. They release details of thousands of website userna...more

like · see review

Feb 14, 2013 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars

Anonymous has existed as a cyberentity for a few years, and they have a reputation that has built up over the years due to what, it turns out, is a lot of misunderstandings by people who don't understand Internet subcultures trying to define them as a group. Olson actually takes the time to find out and shows that the group is more or less what it has presented itself as on the one hand (a leaderless organization that does as it sees fit online) while also showing it is somehow less impressive (...more Anonymous has existed as a cyberentity for a few years, and they have a reputation that has built up over the years due to what, it turns out, is a lot of misunderstandings by people who don't understand Internet subcultures trying to define them as a group. Olson actually takes the time to find out and shows that the group is more or less what it has presented itself as on the one hand (a leaderless organization that does as it sees fit online) while also showing it is somehow less impressive (much of what they do involves old fashioned psychology and tricking people into giving up too much information or using very common though often illegal downloadable programs, and only a handful are actually accomplished hackers of any kind). Olson makes this clear, that while many of her subjects are respected within the community and have some pull, they aren't the leaders. Others will rise to replace them as they get arrested.

What also struck me was the nature of the attacks Anonymous committed. While some were social activists, many were just bored people at home looking for entertainment, or they wanted attention to their online skills. Political messages could often be grafted on afterwards. Often they weren't particularly discriminating, performing hacks simply because they could. Good timing helped there, for when a hack was achieved months earlier but they could make it look like this was not the case. None seemed to really question stealing people's passwords or credit card numbers as anything other than fun of some kind, or if they did, associated it with something the experience did for them that maybe warped their sense of right and wrong. One late incident, where two met face-to-face for the first time, showed them being very polite with other people, making me wonder if the remoteness of the Net causes them not to see their victims as people unless they were standing right in front of someone.

It was an interesting, well-written report, with Olson acting more as a chronicler of the rise of the group, but as even she says, there's no way to tell where they collectively go next.(less)

like · see review

Oct 19, 2012 Writer's Relief rated it 5 of 5 stars

WE ARE ANONYMOUS follows the birth and growth of Internet “hacktivist” group Anonymous—from its lowly roots in the image board 4chan through its evolution to the much-hyped collective that took down several foreign government websites.

How much do you know about Anonymous, beyond that they wore V For Vendetta masks and compromised SONY? Is it true that there was no hierarchy to speak of? Did they really take down the FBI website? How much in-fighting was there behind the scenes? And above all, ho...more

like · see review

Aug 06, 2012 Krom rated it 4 of 5 stars

I followed Anonymous and Lulzsec as closely as a non-groupie can while they made their splash in the headlines. This book does a very good job taking the reader into the bowels of the internets and relating the birth, evolution and partial demise of these hacktivist movements. The events in this book take place in an extremely compressed amount of time, with the different actors often times working with false or misconstrued data and making decisions based on misunderstandings of each other's mo...more

like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Goku rated it 4 of 5 stars

This could have done with another month or so of editing. It's not always clear exactly when certain events are occurring as the narrative jumps back and forth in time, and there is a fair amount of repetition. Technical details are not always covered with the accuracy one might like.

However, none of these gripes detract from the author's primary achievement. "We Are Anonymous" is at its best when describing the culture of Anonymous and its strange journey from 4chan in-joke through Scientology...more

like · see review

Apr 08, 2013 Niranj Vaidyanathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book gave me a few sleepless nights. As soon as I finished the first chapter, I knew I couldn't put it down. Every page, every paragraph - it's incredible. I understand that given the nature of the contents, there's a high probability that some of the contents may not be accurate and based on what the author may have uncovered and interpreted, which is OK, in my opinion.

This is not a book that will give people an education on securing IT infrastructure - it talks about Anonymous and LulzSe...more

like · see review

Feb 27, 2013 Heather F rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: technology

Liked this book but didn't love it. I saw the documentary at SXSW last year 'We Are Legion: the Story Of the Hacktivists' which has a lot of the same information as this book in regards to some of the stories of the people who participated in the various movements including the world of 4chan.

From an informative play-by-play-stand-point I think this book did a good job. In regards to the technical aspect of the author she definitely writes from the place of a layman with no understanding of thi...more

like · see review

Aug 28, 2012 Yanire rated it 4 of 5 stars

*I received this book for free as a Goodreads First Reads winner.*

When I began reading this book, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. My main concern was if the author would be able to successfully explain more complex ideas and terms used by those who are internet savvy, and had a prior knowledge of Anonymous and image boards, etc. I was proven wrong a couple of chapters later.

To those who are familiar with Anonymous and perhaps frequent 4chan and Reddit, the explanations of terms may have be...more

like · see review

Aug 01, 2012 Mike rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm going to talk about the book, but then I'm going to riff on the subject.

Olson's deft narrative of how Anonymous organized out of the chaotic prankishness of 4chan and eventually--in some ways obviously--fragmented and fell apart is deceptively accomplished. The book runs chronologically, helping us newbies ("newfags" in the language of this community) get a handle on what happened when and where, neatly tracking a linear path from early dickishness on discussion boards to a more organized et...more I'm going to talk about the book, but then I'm going to riff on the subject.

Olson's deft narrative of how Anonymous organized out of the chaotic prankishness of 4chan and eventually--in some ways obviously--fragmented and fell apart is deceptively accomplished. The book runs chronologically, helping us newbies ("newfags" in the language of this community) get a handle on what happened when and where, neatly tracking a linear path from early dickishness on discussion boards to a more organized ethos (against any constraints on internet freedom) that aligned--sort of--with politics (from Wikileaks to the uprisings of the Arab Spring).

On first reflection, just having finished the book, I thought the story structure too pat, too familiar: ragtag kids find common cause and form a team (each with her/his own unique set of talents), early actions, more organized missions, hubris and internal strife, actions that went too far or fell apart as the team disintegrated, and the wistful nostalgia of members post-Events. We've all seen this movie. Yet that clean arc belies the real breadth of the history captured by Olson. In particular, she's expert at the expository aside--contextualizing 4chan while describing its birth, for instance--and the skeleton of the book's "plot" is a very, very smart way to give shape to all this information. Olson also had amazing access to many of the central players (who were, um, anonymous--and generally derisive of outsider interest). Thus her history is more richly-detailed, yet also more widescreen, than any I'd seen before. Her insights are generous yet rigorously critical--her accomplished account of who these folks are and how they worked is complemented by nuanced assessments of motive, philosophy.

At times I wished for less "and-then" and more "so what"--I wanted a book more expansively engaged with the cultural study of the pranker/hacker subculture, and with the intersections of politics and pranks. But it's unfair to wish the book was everything, when it already so damn good on its own terms. (I still think it's a little over-stuffed with detail, too bound by its own structural focus on chronology. But these are minor quibbles.)

That's why I picked it up, though. I'm fascinated by, a fan of, pranks--the disruptive energies of rule-breaking, from the pettiest acts of childish disruption to the "important" stuff that gets the "moralfags" all hot and bothered. I'm interested in rule-breaking. And one of the things that fascinates me--about 4chan, or Reddit, or Anonymous, Lulzsec, or predecessors like Alan Abel, Andy Kaufman, Sasha Baron Cohen, and the Yes Men--is the way the prank's unexpected intrusion into public spaces reveals (in disregarding) all those social conventions we implicitly or explicitly demand allegiance to. The prankster comes along and may just fart in church, or may come in all dressed in her Sunday best, sitting down in the pew, paying careful attention to the service before--say, mid-sermon--laughing loudly, and frequently. Maintaining a perfect face of reflection and engagement--she's really paying attention to the preacher!--but not responding the way we're supposed to. Events like this make us uncomfortable: they violate the social contract governing behavior. And that's where I get so excited: by intruding on and disrupting the (oft-unexamined, or intensely-protected) rituals of acceptable behavior, the prank provokes some reflection on those behaviors and that unexamined ethical code. Often the response is intensified policing of those behaviors. (The response to Assange and Anonymous illustrates this to a T, eh?) But there's an opportunity for subversion there--an opportunity, when the rules aren't simply behind-the-scenes but are made visible, to imagine some other way of behaving with one another.

(A cheap sociologist's way to experience this: walk on to an elevator, and stand facing the wrong side. Or sit in a public bathroom stall and try to strike up conversations with people in the next stall. Jimmy Kimmel had a wonderful bit where he offered the guy in the stall next-door a plate of brownies.)

But what I love about the prank is what's dangerous about it. The prankster isn't standing outside, throwing stones--they're in the mix, and subject to consequences. Further, the "subversion" is not necessarily driven by moral purpose--or at least one can't bank on the moral outcomes. The problem with rule-breaking like this is that all rules go up in the air.

(We could stop here and address the 4chan love of the "-fag" tag. Newbies to the board were "newfags;" folks in Anonymous who stopped aiming just for Lulz--the mean/cynical bellylaugh of the jackass--and started thinking about purpose and politics were "moralfags." Clearly this nomenclature emerges from a foundational homophobia, and a pervasive bullying on the 4chan boards. Yet the usage became a neat tool for driving away the prudes--join in the game, or take your scolds somewhere else. And the new usages--perhaps--attained new semantic functions in the community; the "external" rules of culture were rewritten "inside" the chatroom. And, as Olson carefully and intriguingly defines in a thread throughout We Are Anonymous, there was an inclusivity to gender and sexual fluidity in these spaces. The breaking of that cultural rule--don't say the word "fag"--is not mere subversion nor simple bullying. It's a lot more fucking interesting, and to my mind suggestive of why breaking rules matters so much. Adherence to rules is often a way NOT to think about the messiness of our values. "Don't say 'fag'" allows us to cover up, act like homophobia, intensely-policed gender behaviors, and the limits of our cultural understandings of gender and sexual identity--the neat binaries we normalize--are not always on the table or in the room. The downside is obvious: the breaking of the rule might be a vicious, overt attempt to maintain other rules. This is at the heart of the problem of the prank. Sometimes you're being a [lovable] jackass; sometimes you're an asshole.)

We might turn this around on Goodreads culture, and maybe the recent kerfuffle about the "bullying" of authors, the site's attempts to define and control behaviors and image. 4chan had no real constraints on how people behaved, or what people could post. And I think this improvisatory play is more 'organic' to social media community; anything goes, and the rules, such as they are, form (and constantly reform) depending on what the mass of users will accept. It leads to a constant rule-breaking and -setting. Goodreads, like lots of social networking sites, is constantly grappling with this tendency for "open" conversation to evolve through bouts of jackassery and assholishness. Reviewers here aren't bound by some of the constraints imposed by newspapers or print sources -- we can let it rip. We might be profane, might be cruelly or crudely derisive of the themes/topics or the (non-existent) aesthetics, might call the author names ("What kind of misogynistic asshole wrote this?"). We can write reviews that ignore the book entirely, and just throw mud. Authors could pipe up--and throw mud back, or game the system (what rules? I'll get my ratings by making up profiles), or go out on the internet and start attacking the "attackers."

If we were 4chan, we'd just ride the waves of anger and counter-move, and eventually "rules" would shake out. I think that on a social-networking site largely driven by readers, the assholish writers trying to control how people write or talk about their works would have their asses handed to them. And ought to. But my point is: I would be fine with letting the shitstorm rage. If there appears to be a user behaving in a way that other users find inappropriate, I think the visceral response is just fine. For example, trolls will troll, and will usually spark mobs of fire-wielding friends to attack. I wouldn't censor trolls--I'd assume the mob will get 'em. But mobs are dangerous, too, right? I wouldn't censor mobs, either, but things can get uncomfortable. (A while back--some eons ago in internet time--another kerfuffle on GR was about "reviews" that attacked the problems of predatory behavior on sites like this. Some felt like the mob had gone vigilante. I felt--still do--that the internet runs on different rules. And part of the pleasure, and pain, of playing on a site like this is the discomfort of figuring out what rules/values matter to me, and how do I fit in, and....)

I understand why GR wouldn't want to have 4chan as a business model. It's a difficult thing trying to figure out rules to shape social network behaviors.... and it's damned interesting to watch problems blow up, and then seeing how the community and the overlords try to make sense of and then structure behaviors accordingly. But the place--Goodreads, but also this broader new world of a networked community--demands new ways of thinking about our values, and how behaviors get policed. And for that reason the "bully" debate is wonderful, if painful. And I'll delight in coming upon the next prank--whether neat jackassed air horning or assholish prowling--that disturbs the community here. "Delight" in the most complicated sense: relishing its worth and value, even if I feel outraged, or aggrieved, or hurt. (less)

19 likes · like · see review

Jun 17, 2012 Vicki rated it 5 of 5 stars

“We Are Anonymous,” (provided to me free through Goodreads First Reads), is not only an eye opening book about the massive group of hacktivists known as Anonymous and the group of people known as LulzSec, but it’s an intriguing look into the darker side of the Internet.

It goes into depth on the lives of some of the key players and shows us who they were and what helped shape them. The characters are complex, sometimes appearing noble in their aspirations and other times causing trouble for the...more

like · see review

Mar 25, 2013 Matt Bibby rated it 2 of 5 stars

Overall, not impressed. If you're looking to solve the mystery of super secret hacking techniques, you will not find it in this book. Anonymous and Lulzsec's methods were simply a variation of SQLi, XSS, and DDOS. In fact, they even underplay Social Engineering, which can be the most effective form of hacking. I was not expecting much going into this, but I was surprised as to how overblown their attacks really were. I mean, a 13 year old can learn these methods on hackforums.net. It may of been...more

like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Joe rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love a good hacker thriller. Living vicariously? Cheering that huge multinational corporations can't stop a bunch of kids from vandalizing their web presence? I don't know exactly what it is, but dang I love reading it.

This book definitely qualifies. It gives a pretty good background into the start of 4chan and the rest of the internet culture that helped give rise to Anonymous, but in fact Olson's book really focuses on the small group that was involved in the HBGary hack. They were clearly i...more

like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Josh rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fascinating look into Internets culture. The more things change (online), the more they stay the same - much of this really brought me back to the early 90's - but with a very distinctive web 2.0 feel.

The obvious drawbacks here: Parmy Olson clearly attempts to verify as much as possible in her accounts, but much of the book is (a) dependent on a small number of interviewees (relative to the size of the movements), and (b) largely dependent on first-hand accounts. I don't think you can fault Ms...more

like · see review

Mar 15, 2013 John Weeks rated it 4 of 5 stars

A good basic intro to how 'Anonymous' came to be for non-techies.
The author unpacks a lot of tech-speak and internet culture, then cuts to the core group of hackers (LulzSec) who seized media attention.

There are some awkward bits, where the author arranges a meeting between two hackers only to 'write herself out' of the conversation - we only find she was there in retrospect. Also, by focusing on the activities of Anons as the main narrative, it's very easy to view them all as protagonists whe...more

like · see review

Sep 21, 2012 Kara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2012

You can tell it was written by a journalist: clean prose and well-edited, sometimes I really miss that in today's writing. It was well researched - has a timeline, notes and sources, index, and glossary, which is very helpful as these people have their own language and terms for everything.

I don't ever want to make these people angry; they will mess up your life.

It's quite a page-turner of a fascinating world of people. It's books like these that make me realize how big this world is: I had no i...more You can tell it was written by a journalist: clean prose and well-edited, sometimes I really miss that in today's writing. It was well researched - has a timeline, notes and sources, index, and glossary, which is very helpful as these people have their own language and terms for everything.

I don't ever want to make these people angry; they will mess up your life.

It's quite a page-turner of a fascinating world of people. It's books like these that make me realize how big this world is: I had no idea there were so many skilled people out there. It's funny because I used to think I was computer literate (or, at least, where I live I am very computer literate) but these people would scoff at me.

It does make me wonder if the group of people called "Anonymous" like the attention this book is giving them. It does present them as both vigilantes for their cause as well as a huge threat towards the online community. It should be noted, and everyone should read this book, because of the way everything is going online now, it could be very dangerous for people and their stuff to be online and this book tells them, in great detail, why that is. For instance, I will never put all of my stuff in an iCloud. They can never make me, it will never happen.

The one person that I found that I couldn't sympathize with at all was Jennifer Emick. While I wouldn't say that Anonymous does wonderful things, I can kind of understand where they are coming from - they blasted the Church of Scientology and the Westboro Babtist Church, and nobody likes those people. And when they attack companies, it's like 'well, at least they're hitting the big man'. But Emick seems very odd to me. She claims to be raising her kids to be 'self-reliant' but they are not yet teenagers and they have to cook their own food, while she's on the computer for eighteen hour stretches. She got this idea from her parents who made her cook her own food and pay the bills before she was even fourteen, but they were alcoholics and therefore not the prime example for how to be a good parent. Also, Emick has pissed off a group of people who have no problem ruining her financial life by posting her social security number online numerous times and they have even started going after her family. I am wondering if her kids might grow up to really resent her. Also, there must be something off with her personality because she keeps falling out with her business partners and they have even turned around and started going after her, too. I'm wondering if the thrill of catching the bad guy is really all that is keeping her doing this, because she certainly doesn't seem concerned with the safety of her family. She obviously has an addiction to the computer for one thing.

Also, it's kind of interesting that a group whose basis of existence is that they are safe with their numbers and focus on their ability to be invisible, should focus so much on such a small group of people. Also interesting in that Hector 'Sabu' Montsegur should almost rule over these people so long because he has the same bombastic personality issues that Charles Manson and Jim Jones had, while also handing them over to the Feds. They are so emotionally detached and lost touch with reality.

It's a long read, but fascinating and I totally recommend it if you are even remotely interested in the online community.(less)

like · see review

Jun 09, 2012 Aaron rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-mystery, favorites

At the risk of being completely cliche: I couldn't put this book down. It's an incredible look into the pettiness, macho posturing, and faux activist culture of much of Anonymous. At the same time, it's also a compelling look at the real-life implications of Anonymous activity on Anons themselves, told mostly through the eyes of Topiary. You can't help but be both horrified and quite impressed by many of the exploits detailed in the book. They really did bring the lulz, but at the cost of hurtin...more

like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Melody rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well-written in the face of disinformation, secrets, and outright lies. Double and triple fact checking probably didn't cut much ice here, and Olson did a creditable job of ferreting out what seems to be a coherent narrative. The journalism is solid, the authorial voice very engaging.

I'm deeply sympathetic to hackers, and this book didn't dissuade me one bit. Yeah, they do some harm- it's undeniable. But when they are taking down banks and evil corporations, I'm right up there cheering them on,...more

1 like · like · see review

Nov 10, 2012 Steven rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book starts of very excitingly as it takes off dramatically an gives you an interesting history if how anonymous started and then follows a group of popular Anons around for the remainder of the book. It jumps around a bit making it a little hard to follow at times and sort of loses momentum in the middle but it was overall a very exciting fascinating book. In its history section I was a little taken aback by the profanity. I understand that there is a lot on the Internet so I didn't find i...more

like · see review

Jul 25, 2012 Russell rated it 3 of 5 stars

The author was on the Daily Show promoting this book and it intrigued me. I had heard of Anonymous and wanted to know more so I read it. This book definitely shows how Oz isn't so great and powerful.

It is a very clear and well written book. The majority of time it felt surreal reading an anthropology piece on something happening todayish. Everything in this book JUST happened. I was worried about it feeling like Michael Scott explaining slang Daryl taught him, but there was only one moment discu...more

like · see review

title link	preview: We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency
avg rating	preview: We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency Goodreads rating: 3.92 (723 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13528420-we-are-anonymous?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1336065338l/13528420.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13528420-we-are-anonymous?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency by Parmy Olson[/url]

We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (9)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About We Are Anonymous:...

Quotes from We Are Anonymous: Insi...

We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (9)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About We Are Anonymous:...

Quotes from We Are Anonymous: Insi...

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (9)