Bloggasm

This is pretty sick.

Several hackers began posting on an epilepsy forum pictures of rapidly-flashing images.

“The breach triggered severe migraines and near-seizure reactions in some site visitors who viewed the images,” writes Wired. “People with photosensitive epilepsy can get seizures when they’re exposed to flickering images, a response also caused by some video games and cartoons.”

The FBI is investigating the breach.

I have been watching the actions of the mysterious internet group called Anonymous with vague interest; one of the weirder things to appear on the internet for sure. It wasn’t long ago that the group declared war on Scientology and managed to shut down Scientology’s website with a distributed denial-of-service-attack.

But since it was mainly confined to the internet, I didn’t give it too much thought. Now, the group has decided to organize real-life events, and it’s getting really creepy. Watch the Youtube video calling for a protest on Feb. 10th embedded below. Beneath the video you’ll find the text of it.

These rules do not represent the writings and ides of any one person. Rules may vary depending on your location.

The following video is intended as guide for Anonymous preparing to engage in their first real-life public demonstration. It will also provide a refresher for those of you who have experience with this modality of petition.

The purpose of the demonstration in a modern western society is to convey a message to the public. In keeping with this objective, Anonymous has drafted 22 rules that Anonymous can follow in order to assure epic win and no loss of hit points on your part.

Rule#0: Rules 1 and 2 of the internet still apply. Your memes are not, at this juncture, something that the real world can appreciate. Although meme speak between fellow Anonymous is acceptable, focus on the targetand keep it to a minimum.

Rule #1: Stay cool.

Rule #2: Stay cool, especially when harassed. You are an ambassador of Anonymous.Although individuals trying to disrupt your demonstration will get onyour nerves, you must not lose your temper. Doing so will harm the protest and tarnish the reputation of Anonymous.

Rule #3: Comply with the orders of law enforcement officers above all else. Doing otherwise is harmful to the demonstration as a whole and may compromise your performance as a human being. Do not request badge numbers unless you are being treated in a very abusive manner, as doing so will anger officers.

Rule #4: Notify city officials. Most jurisdictions either have rules about public protests, or would prefer to be notified that they are taking place. Know the rules for your jurisdiction and abide by them.

Rule #5: Always be across the street from the object being protested.

Rule#6: In the absence of a road, find another natural barrier between yourself and the target of protest. Doing so will make it more difficult for individuals hostile to your cause to come and harass you.

Rule #7: Stay on public property. You may be charged for trespassing if you do not.

Rule #8: No violence.

Rule #9: No weapons. The demonstration is a peaceful event. Your weapons. You will not need them.

Rule #10: No alcohol or pre-drinking. Violating this rule may easily precipitate a violation of rules 1 and 2.

Rule#11: NO graffiti, destruction, or vandalism. Rule #12: If you want todo something stupid, pick another day. These should be self explanatory. Violation of these rules during a demonstration will tarnish the reputation of Anonymous, harm the demonstration itself and leave you vulnerable to attention from law enforcement.

Rule#13: Anonymous is legion. Never be alone. Isolation during a protest marks you as a target for handlers who wish to provoke an angry reaction from you and other hostiles. In keeping with this principle…

Rule #14: Organize in squads of 10 to 15 people.

Rule #15: One or two megaphones per squad. A megaphone is helpful for maintaining the overall cohesion of a demonstration and spreading your message.However, too many will confuse the public and render you hearing impaired.

Rule #16: Know the dress code. Forming a loose yet reasonable dress code for protest members will help to maintain cohesion and get the public to take you seriously.

Rule #17:Cover your face. This will prevent your identification from videos taken by hostiles, other protesters or security. Use scarves, hats and sunglasses. Masks are not necessary, and donning them in the context ofa public demonstration is forbidden in some jurisdictions.

Rule #18: Bring water.

Rule#19: Wear good shoes. Following these rules will assure your comfort during the demonstration. Keep in mind that demonstrations may often bequite lengthy.

Rule #20: Signs, flyers, and phrases. Have yours ready. Make sure that signs are large enough to read. Also ensure that the text on your signs and your phrases are pertinent to the target ofthe protest.

Rule #21: Prepare legible, uncomplicated andaccurate flyers to hand out to those who wish to know more regarding the motivations behind your actions.

Finally, Rule #22: Document the demonstration. Videos and pictures of the event may be used to corroborate your side of the story if law enforcement get involved.Furthermore, posting images and videos of your heroic actions all over the internet is bound to generate win, exhorting other Anonymous to follow your glorious example.

If you follow these simple rules,the success of your action is virtually assured. However, keep in mind that the success of the demonstration as a whole hinges on the good behavior of all those who participate. Ignore these rules at your own peril. Follow them, and victory will be yours.

We are Anonymous.
We do not forgive.
We do not forget.
And now, we are expected

No, really. Those were misquotes. I promise. No need to stand outside my workplace in an angry mob-like fashion.

Watch Sean Hannity get swarmed by Ron Paul supporters in the Youtube video embedded below:

via makinglight

Some links for your pleasure:

1. The Virginia Pilot publishedsome brilliant photojournalism recently.

2. This graphic novel predicts where citizen journalism will be in a few years. Oh, and apparently Dan Rather will still be alive and kicking then.

3. If you’re a newspaper sports writer who is worried about recent job cuts within the industry, there may be a lifeboat for you within ESPN. Quite a few journalists have jumped ship. (via Romenesko )

4. A really cute girl sings a song about Digg.com.

5. At the risk of being accused of hyperbole, if you were to describe these tactics to convict AP photojournalist Bilal Hussein to someone without mentioning the name of the government engaging in said tactics, that person would likely predict that the government in question was a dictatorship.

On that note, have a Merry godless Christmas!

I don’t frequent online message boards as much as I used to, but I know from experience that you’ll see some of the nastiest fights imaginable–especially in political threads– in little corners of the web frequented by trolls. There have been several instances where the rhetoric has grown so heated that people posted their home addresses to try to provoke the flamers into a physical, real-world fight. In one message board I read, a person had his membership at a science fiction convention revoked because he had threatened another attendee of the con.

To my knowledge, none of these real-world fights ended up happening. But recently, a man was sentenced for driving 1,300 miles in his car to burn down the trailer of another internet troll who had taunted him.

Though blogs have been covered thoroughly by the mainstream media, I’ve seen very few spotlights on online message boards. There are many that are frequented by thousands of people every day, and they’re likely a significant portion of online media. This is just one example of the potency of online flame wars, and how they have a tendency to escalate into outright chaos.

I don’t have health insurance.

The newspaper I work for offers a plan, but I’ve been putting off signing up for it in favor of saving a buck. I have rent and other expenses every month, and like millions of other Americans in their 20s, I’ve been arrogant and put health insurance at the bottom of my priority list just so I can feel comfortable with my expenses.

NY Magazine has published an article about people like me: A Generation Uninsured, and it’s scary. It begins with an anecdote about a person named Andrew Ondrejcak who wakes up with a sharp pain in his side, and rather than going to see a doctor, he tries to ride it out. It describes his own mental agonizing over how to find a doctor while uninsured, how much it’s going to cost him, and the hassle of having to eventually be rushed to the hospital.

Like I said, as someone who could very well be placed in his situation, it’s scary. I think at the end of this month I’m going to make it a priority to join up with the company plan finally and get it over with.

On a flight between Delhi and Heathrow a woman in her seventies died. The air crew, who apparently didn’t have a plan for such an incident, decided to move her to first class:

A BRITISH Airways passenger travelling first class has described how he woke up on a long-haul flight to find that cabin crew had placed a corpse in his row.

The body of a woman in her seventies, who died after the plane left Delhi for Heathrow, was carried by cabin staff from economy to first class, where there was more space. Her body was propped up in a seat, using pillows.

The woman’s daughter accompanied the corpse, and spent the rest of the journey wailing in grief.

***

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