Bloggasm

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

By now, many people know that several advertisers have removed themselves from Savage Nation, the radio show for right-wing host Michael Savage.

Brave New Films launched a website at nosavage.org to highlight his anti-Musilim rhetoric and put pressure on his advertisers to cease from supporting him. So far, at least five major companies have pulled their advertising.

The organization also posted a Youtube video showing some brief clips of his more controversial statements. As you may know, Youtube — in addition to its regular commenting feature — also allows its users to upload video responses.

This is how I came across the hilarious video embedded bellow. A user called elijahmi2 decided he wanted to come to Savage’s defense and prove that Muslims really are as bad as Savage says they are. It pretty much speaks for itself, but make sure you stick around until the end to see elijahmi2 lie about tell his story of how he was attacked by a group of angry Muslims who tried to force him to convert, only to run with broken noses, black eyes, and their tails between their legs. This is comedy gold!

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In a post in December, I predicted that the lack of new content on television because of the Writers Guild of America strike would cause new opportunities to open up for online video. I went so far as to recommend that some WGA writers ditch television all together and try their hands at writing and producing content for online.

As the BBC reports, “YouTube’s audience was up 18% in the two months after the strike started, and newer video-sharing sites such as Crackle have also experienced unprecedented growth.”

“That is greater growth than you would normally see in such a short period and the strike could be a possible factor,” said Nielsen analyst Alex Burmaster.

I can’t help but wonder if other forms of internet content have benefited as well. My readership has visibly increased, but that’s probably because I’ve become more proactive in posting content.

Has anyone else experienced an inexplicable bump in traffic?

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A few days ago, I wrote a post about the possibility of WGA writers crossing over to the internet for good and leaving the television and movie industry behind them. At the end of the post, I offered what has since turned out to be a prophetic statement:

Something tells me that this strike will not only have a strong effect on the television and movie industry, but the rise of professional online video content as well. Look out Video-of-a-Cute-Cat-in-a-Tree, the Big Guns have entered the saloon.

Well, someone from the WGA must have read my post, because it appears that Cute Cat and other adorable animals that are regularly featured in Youtube videos will be going on strike as well.

Check out their youtube video embedded below (if you’re reading this is an RSS feed reader you might need to click through to the site to watch it):

via boingboing

Though the arguments surrounding the Writers Guild of America strike are often complex and involve a good deal of number crunching and indepth knowledge of the DVD and online advertising market, one of the most salient demands that have made it into the media echo chamber is that writers want a cut of the profits made from the internet.

Many journalists, particularly newspaper journalists, have likely watched this debate with some interest. After all, we’re still having to figure out how to adapt to the online world ourselves, particularly when it comes to online advertising. Print advertising is shrinking, and though the online ad market is growing, it’s not quick enough. Not only that, but a good bit of it is getting sucked up by Google.

Dozens, if not hundreds, of media stories have pointed out already that the internet, the very thing being argued over, is helping to fuel support for the striking writers. They have unleashed a barrage of Youtube videos attacking the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, often employing the very writing skills that they use in their day jobs.

Part of the reason for this success is the low bar for entry: It costs very little to produce a six minute video and load it onto Youtube and then feed it through the appropriate channels. Imagine the WGA trying to do this with video tapes, the subject of the 1988 strike. The cost of production and distribution of video tapes would have been too costly to be effective.

So this leads us to the next logical step: If the internet is supposedly so profitable, and the cost for entry is so low, then why don’t some WGA members just bypass the producers completely and write solely for online content?

According to an AP article titled “Striking Writers Gravitate to Web,” some writers might do just that. “The operators of Internet entertainment sites such as MyDamnChannel, Break, Heavy and others have a message for striking writers – give us a look,” the article states. “Many writers are doing just that, with the hope of retaining total creative control over their work and collecting as much as half of all revenue – a potentially sweet deal compared to a typical TV gig.”

So now the AMPTP has a second problem to deal with in regards to the strike: Not only are they losing potential profits, they’re also losing potential talent. And the longer the WGA is on strike, the more writers who might try their hands at online video production.

Something tells me that this strike will not only have a strong effect on the television and movie industry, but the rise of professional online video content as well. Look out Video-of-a-Cute-Cat-in-a-Tree, the Big Guns have entered the saloon.

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In terms of media coverage, social networking sites like Myspace and Facebook and video sites like Youtube get all the press. But according to research and analysis company Parks Associates, online gaming is growing at a much quicker rate.

I finally got around to reading my boingboing rss feed and came across a bunch of media related links so thought I’d include them all in one post.

1. Cory gives us a behind-the-scenes look at DRM and how big technology and media companies get pro-DRM rules signed into law.

2. Wired has a cool article about how Jamaican music artists basically invented mash-ups and remix albums because of relaxed copyright law in that country.

3. A researcher figured out that an artist only really profits off his copyrighted work for about 14 years before the copyright is virtually useless.

4. A website that specializes in allowing teens to display webcam video is owned by a porn company. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that they’re not very good at dealing with parent complaints about inappropriate webcam video popping up on their site.

5. A Sampling of new words and senses from the new 2007 update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition: “Just two years after a majority of visitors to Merriam-Webster OnLine declared it to be their “Favorite Word (Not in the Dictionary),” the adjective “ginormous” (now officially defined as “extremely large: humongous”), has won a legitimate place in the 2007 copyright update of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh Edition.”

6. A blogger from China could be thrown in jail simply for posting a link to a site with nude pictures.

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