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Who is Anonymous and what is their mission?
Originally published on April 3, 2013 on Coast Report
by Marivel Guzman | Staff Writer at Coast Report |
It is hard to describe in words what Anonymous really is. To most, it is a group of hackers who disrupt web pages and steal data. However, some think that they are doing good things for society.
The irony of the situation is that Anonymous is not a group that can be traced to a building or to a country. They are dispersed around the world — they have no offices, no leaders, they do not follow a strategy.
With its ever growing popularity, it has become a case of whether or not they can actually be considered criminals.
At Orange Coast College, most haven’t heard of it, but the students who had agreed that while they are hackers, they do things that benefit society.
Jairo Navarete, 24, computer science major at OCC, said Anonymous is a group of Internet activists and it is good when the group exposes bad information about certain companies.
“The government should not punish them with long sentences, because what they do not affect the company’s people — only the money,” he said.
Another student said the group usually has the people in mind.
“They are a group that speaks in favor of society’s best interest and only mean well,” said Garret Smith, 19, a video-game science major.
Some students said releasing confidential information can be valuable for society.
“I know they expose information that would be valuable for the public to know, that otherwise is kept secret to fulfill the government’s agenda,” said 20-year-old Jimmy Wakem.
The Obama administration says organizations such as WikiLeaks and hacking group LulzSec may conduct economic 
espionage against U.S. companies.
In fact, Anonymous members work independently but when they finish, they leave their calling card where they use their famous quote, “We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect us.”
Anonymous has millions of followers on the Internet. Their Youtube videos have millions of views and they have become a type of cyber heroes.
Heroes or villains, the government has doubled its efforts to stop Anonymous’ activities, but it seems that the hacktivists are multiplying and Anonymous is growing every day.
Disclaimer: This article belongs to Coast report. The article was published on their print and online edition on April 3, 2013.
Justice for Aaron Swartz
Justice for Aaron Swartz
by John Halle on January 13, 2013
UPDATED by Marivel Guzman
Remove United States District Attorney Carmen Ortiz from office for overreach in the case of Aaron Swartz.
Aaron Swartz’s death needs justice. He was not a crazy person with suicide thoughts. Aaron was perfectly sane individual charged with bogus made up crimes. We all know that our system is rotten. The prosecutors in our “justice” system make crimes to climb up in their careers.
In our system The People (Prosecutor) has to prove a person guilty and the judge needs to have hard evidence before he/she allows a person to be charged with a crime.
In Aaron Swartz’s case neither the Prosecutor Ortiz or the Judge had any hard evidence to charge Aaron with the dozens or so crimes he was charged with, and regardless of the evidence they went ahead with the outrageous charges.
With the abuse of power they displayed, Aaron was overwhelmed by the outcome of wrong verdict, and saw his bright future blurred by 35 years in federal prison plus 1,000,000 dollars.
Who ever had felt the power of the justice in the flesh knows the power of the District Attorney’s office. How they Deal with the life of the “Defendants”. They deal with the lives as if dealing in a game of cards. The district Attorney and the Defendant’s attorney interchange cases as conveniently as they come. The two sides build illustrious careers with the people lives.
Aaron Swartz is one special case, they, the District Attorney’s office conspired with other powerful behind the scenes actors, they played a macabre game to show Aaron a lesson.
They wanted to send a lesson to all the internet dissenters, to all the social and political activists, to the hacktivist community. They wanted to silence Aaron and all the Aarons in the world.
They certainly did, they did it so well that Aaron could not survive the bullying, bullying that drove him to kill himself.
Our system needs balance, needs honesty, and Aaron Swartz needs justice.
In the name of Justice and truth, the culprits need to be brought to the real justice system and pay for the crime. SHARE AND SIGN THE PETITION Akashma News
Aaron Swartz, who committed suicide on Friday, was by all accounts a remarkable person. But he was by no means a radical. In his brief role as an organizer with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, he was among those who were convinced that with sufficient pressure from its activist base, the Obama administration would eventually reveal its deeply obscured roots in traditional New Deal/Great Society liberalism.
It hardly needs to be said that those of us who argued against him at the time, as I did, take no pleasure in having been proven right in the years since. The most tragic indication came two years ago when the Obama justice department charged Swartz himself with a 12 count violation of the 1986 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act for his attempt to acquire, via the MIT server, the JSTOR scholarly archive and make it available to the general public.
A small, delicate and bookish 26 year old, the prospect of a lengthy prison term, according to friends, terrified him and this, compounded by a history of depression, was, according to a statement released by this family, a primary reason for his suicide.
This was, of course, an almost unspeakable tragedy for those who knew him.
For them there is an understandable tendency to focus on Swartz’s extraordinary life and accomplishments and a reluctance to point fingers at those who are responsible.
Those of us who only know of Swartz’s work in passing shouldn’t feel any compunction about doing so, and there is plenty of blame to go around.
Most conspicuously, there is the Obama administration, and its deep pocket contributors in the high tech, publishing and entertainment industries who have attempted to make what they call the “theft” and what Swartz regarded as the liberation of intellectual property a crime meriting the most severe punishment. A ridiculously disproportionate 35 year sentence was being aggressively pursued by Massachusetts Federal Attorney, Carmen Ortiz who likely viewed the prosecution as an opportunity to raise her profile within the party. The strategy seemed to be working: Massachusetts Governor and close friend of Obama Deval Patrick mentioned her as a likely successor.
It should be our job to ensure that Ms. Ortiz’s cynical calculation will not pay off. A petition demanding her removal from office is being circulated and should be signed, though this is a bare minimum. Demonstrations at her office should become routine and her public appearances should be greeted with conspicuous displays of opposition. Should she receive the nomination for governor, or any other position in the future, those honoring Schwartz’s memory should pledge to nominate, finance, and actively support a third party candidate who can benefit from the legitimate outrage at Ortiz’ exercise in prosecutorial over-reach and extreme Democratic Party triangulation.
The other target, MIT, is not used to having the light of publicity affixed to it, but it is well deserved. As the Swartz’s family notes, by filing charges when the primary victim JSTOR refused to do so, MIT’s acquiesence was required for the federal prosecution to proceed.
Although MIT enjoys a near pristine reputation as America’s premier scientific and technical institution, it has more than a few skeletons in its closet due to its having been for years a leading beneficiary of federal government contracts, much of this tied to the development and production of costly, destabilizing and unnecessary weapons systems.
Complementing this flow of cash is the revolving door connecting its faculty with high level positions in industry and the federal government. MIT Professors such as CIA director John Deutsch, Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers and National Security Advisor Walt Rostow, among many others, have been leading figures within the Washington establishment.
The presence of these naturally raises suspicions with respect to the Obama Justice Department having influenced MIT’s decision to pursue prosecution. While this is necessarily a matter of speculation, it is difficult to see what MIT gained, since its own intellectual property was not being compromised. Furthermore, the climate at the institute, particularly within higher technology circles has historically promoted a culture of openness and sharing of ideas. The prosecution seriously if not fatally undermined this culture and this is what the Swartz’s family meant by MIT failing “to stand up for… its community’s most cherished principles.”
MIT faculty, particularly those in fields such as computer science and software engineering where Swartz made, at a very young age, substantial contributions, should demand an explanation for the administration’s catastrophic and tragic decision to move forward with the prosecution. And it should demand the release of all communications with federal officials relating to the Swartz case, should they exist.
Doing so would serve justice and, ultimately, the best interests of MIT as an institution.
It is the least which the MIT community can do to honor Swartz’s memory.
Reform the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to reflect the realities of computing and networks in 2013. The act is much too open ended. Any reasonable use of a computer system that isn’t explicitly authorized can be classified a computer crime.
ShareTagged as: Aaron Swartz, Carmen Ortiz, JSTOR, MIT
Aaron Aarons January 13, 2013 at 8:43 pm
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While I am fully in solidarity with the major points of this article, I want to point out, in a comradely way, an example of the kind of thinking, or at least of rhetoric, that leftist enemies of the ruling order should avoid, even in making an incidental point:
[MIT has] been for years a leading beneficiary of federal government contracts, much of this tied to the development and production of costly, destabilizing and unnecessary weapons systems.
This use of the word “unnecessary” leaves the implication that some weapons systems that are developed and produced for the U.S. government are “necessary”, without questioning what interests they might be “necessary” for, and will reinforce in many minds the notion that some such weapons systems are “necessary” in the abstract, and not “necessary” specifically to serve the interests of the U.S. ruling class.
Again, I am fully in solidarity with the intent of this post and hope to see further discussion of the topic, including on how to accomplish exactly the kind of liberating task that Aaron Swartz was persecuted for attempting.
Aaron Swartz First Hacktivist Martyred
Posted on January 12, 2013 by Akashma Online News
UPDATED:Aaron Swartz’s supporters will be remembering Aaron’s 30-year birthday Saturday, Nov. 5 and Sunday, Nov. 6 in San Francisco, Calif. in a two-day lectures, workshops and reception.
Aaron Swartz was not criminal, he was not a hacker, Aaron was an intellectual, a young social activist looking for balance in our society.
Co-founder of Reddit Aaron Swartz found dead 😦 😥
Aaron Swartz Indicted For Hacking JSTOR.-
Tragic that the imminent end of life rotten in a federal prison pushed this young intellectual to take his life.
Aaron Swartz, the internet activist who wrote key parts of early RSS code, helped establish Reddit, opposed the Stop Online Piracy Act, and pushed hard for open access to information like U.S. case law and academic journals. Information that should be freely available to the public.
Last year Aaron Swartz the internet hacktivist was indicted for charges of wire fraud, computer fraud, data theft and property damage, Today Aaron Swartz is death. Found death in his apartment on apparently suicide.
A spokeswoman for New York’s Medical Examiner says 26-year-old Aaron Swartz hanged himself in his Brooklyn apartment. He was found Friday.
Swartz’s death was confirmed by his attorney, Elliot Peters, in an email to MIT’s The Tech newspaper.
“The tragic and heartbreaking information you received is, regrettably, true,” Peters wrote.
Before you go any further on the indictment charge of our young bright Aaron Swartz, you need to learn about his alleged crime.
The Truth about Aaron Swartz’s “Crime”- hardly a crime at all
25-year-old Swartz, who is best known as co-author of the initial RSS specification, allegedly broke into a computer closet at MIT, accessed MIT’s network connected to JSTOR and downloaded “a major portion of JSTOR’s archive” without authorization, and distributed the acquired content through file sharing networks.
These are are words used in the indictment of Aaron, but this could have been proven wrong by an IT specialist that had cracked the most difficult cases in the IT industry. Alex Stamos is the CTO of Artemis Internet, he was the defense witness in Aaron Swartz case. Please take a minute to read his post “The truth about Aaron Swartz’s Crime”.
Aaron Swartz, was web pioneer who advocated for free online content. This more than suicide it is a crime delivered directly from the the Justice Department in their attempts to keep the profits soaring for the Corporate Gangsters.
Demand Progress, a website for which Swartz previously served as Executive Director, set up a web page and petition in support of Swartz, indicating that the indictment came with surprise and questioning a legal strategy that makes downloading “so many journal articles” a felony that should be punished with jail time. Demand Progress also noted that “the alleged victim has settles any claims against Aaron, explained they’ve suffered no loss or damage, and asked the government not to prosecute.” Toms Guide
Swartz himself reached out to his Twitter followers and thanked for their support via tweets. Demand Progress’ current Executive Director David Segal said that “Aaron’s career has focused on serving the public interest by promoting ethics, open government, and democratic politics. We hope to soon see him cleared of these bizarre charges.”
It is outrageous to think that the life of a young person be wasted this way. The Justice Department should respond for this crime.
It is not that we do not have enough with the trampling of our rights as a citizens, now we are facing greater threats to our physical integrity, when Law Thugs like District Attorneys base their career creating crimes with the pen.
35 years in prison for distributing old academic journals/papers? I can’t imagine a non-profit like JSTOR going after someone with the fury of the entertainment industry. If anything they should see the writing on the wall; most journals are required to move towards open access. According to JSTOR they did not want to press charges, but the Federal Government went full blown against this 25 year old internet activist, and was facing 50 years in Jail and more than 1,000,000 in fines. What a ridicule and out of proportion judgment, when we have Real criminals directing our life.
Most of our politicians are hacking each other, they have the best technology money can buy and they get away with it.
Last year, Swartz openly criticized the US and the Israeli regime for launching joint cyber attacks against Iran. The blogger was also vocal in criticizing Obama’s so-called kill list and other policies. Obama has been reportedly approving the names put on the “kill lists” used in the targeted killing operations carried out by US assassination drones.
Every week or so, more than 100 members of the US national security team gather via secure video teleconference run by the Pentagon and go over the biographies of suspects in Yemen, Somalia, and Pakistan, and “nominate” those who should be targeted in the attacks.
Obama is then provided with the identities of those put on the “kill list” and signs off on every strike in Yemen and Somalia as well as the risky strikes in Pakistan.
Swartz was critical of monopoly of information by corporate cartels and believed that information should be shared and available for the benefit of society.
“Information is power. But like all power, there are those who want to keep it for themselves,” he wrote in an online “manifesto” in 2008.
Some DA at the United States Attorney’s Office was trying to get herself a promotion and killed this amazing young man in the process. Justice is backward, law enforcement is covering the real criminals. There are real crimes out there, this is not one of them.
“I’m so sick of living in a world without compassion and understanding. The laws on the books don’t automatically force prosecution and saying ‘its just my job’ is a justification that has never worked in history. In fact, those who claim this are often the worst of us, and by far. I’m sick of the monied interests having so much power and controlling our fates. From the office of the President down to the lowliest street beggar – money rules. Money become the evil that control our everyday lives. Copyright, IP, patents aren’t more important than my freedom or my ability to educate myself and others. This is an attack on my basic right to speak!
I’m so angry right now. The world only produces a few thousand Aaron Swartz’s a generation. Instead of us building a system to enable and empower people like him, we build systems by old men to protect the assets of old men while pissing on young men. They are destroying the boomer generation, you’ve become traitors to the American dream and to basic American freedom. The systems they build enable DAs and money men to toss the people who try to do better in this life in jail.” Internet Forums
The family of Aaron Swartz and the internet community are demanding the Federal Prosecutor to be charge with the murder of Aaron. The unjustifiable thread of excessive charges brought our young activist to depression and ultimately to his death. The office of the Federal Prosecutor unable to stop the chains of hacking events in the internet and DDS attacks prompted them to look for scapegoats. Aaron’s death demand justice.
I hope Anonymous and others hacktivists show a lesson to the Corporate Scam of the world, and their prostitutes. This is a crime against our youth. This is not how our youth deserve to be treated.
Aaron Swartz was a truly beautiful person. The world is unquestionably dimmer without him. RIP Aaron, you will be missed and remembered. The more since condolences to his family and friends.
Akashma Online News 
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