Chapter 4: Hacktivism--Online Activism

OVERVIEW

The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual crime.

--MAX STIRNER

GIVEN A CHOICE BETWEEN THE VOTE OF A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL OR THE WISHES OF A MAJOR CORPORATION THAT DONATED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS, GUESS WHICH ONE WILL HAVE THE MOST INFLUENCE OVER A POLITICIAN? One solution for individuals who hope to have their voices heard by government officials is to band together with like-minded people and form a group too large for the politicians to ignore.

In the days before the Internet, such activists relied on meetings, newsletters, and mass mailings to keep their members organized and informed. However, the popularity of the Internet has given activists a new medium for spreading their ideas and making their goals known.

To learn more about using the Internet to form or improve an activist group, read The Virtual Activist training course offered by NetAction (http://www.netaction.org). If you want to find a protest rally near you, visit Protest.Net (http://www.protest.net), which lists protests around the world and offers an Activist's Handbook to help people get involved with a cause they believe in (see Figure 4-1).

Figure 4-1: Protest.Net lists different types of protests by geographical location, date, and topic so that you can protest around the world at your convenience.