Anonymous Antagonists

While reading Dick Hebdige's essay 'Subculture' a little worm squirmed it's way into my mind. Computer geeks and internet nerds cowering behind computer towers, infecting other's computer's with lethal virus' and worms make up technologies subculture. These tech savvy parasites can uncover all sorts of information thanks to the Internets obvious lack of concern for privacy. Not only are the sites you set up for the public to see available to hackers, but the information you keep "password protected," may be compromised because to a hacker this means "just a click away." Interesting enough, however, is the fact that all of the materials needed to understand and successfully hack into a computer are just beneath even my own fingertips as I type this blog. Codes and prototypes can be found with a quick search and basically anyone could be a hacker. Not all of us choose to engage in pointless destruction, I guess.

Who hasn't used McAfee Anti-Virus on a PC before? This security system or another like it is a necessity for browsing the internet. You screen your e-mails for the inevitable "YOUR A WINNER!" or Viagra subject lines, which most internet users know now are scams and virus's. Always use protection. My question, however, is WHY should I have to protect my computer against complete strangers? What is their motivation for doing this? And where does the gratification for destructing other's property right from the comfort of your rolly chair come from?

The Social Network, a new pseudo-documentary of the beginnings of Facebook, demonstrates how one computer wiz capitalizes on his ability to hack into his college network, providing him with names, photo's, and other information on his classmates. The movie also touches base on the inventor of Napsters success after performing some rather illegal computer tricks. Some hackers use the internet to access social security numbers and bank accounts giving them free reign over the financial well-being of unsuspecting individuals.

Internet stalkers and violent criminals could technically be included in this subculture for using the world wide web as a tool to target almost anyone at all as a victim. There have been numerous NBC Dateline's, 20/20's and other major news shows concerning Internet safety and the stories which evolved from the members of this subculture viewing the Internet as nothing more than a ListServ of innocently browsing casualties. With the opportunity to be whomever they need to be to lure in a victim, internet criminals use the screen as a mask, utilizing the anonymity of the Internet to commit hostile and emotionally damaging crimes.