Anonymously Yours

The subject of anonymity has been the topic of inquiring minds as of late.  Of course lines and sides have been drawn over the impacts of this seemingly "new" phenomenon.  Anonymous mob mentality can be a very dangerous thing.  It can spark revolutions that over throw existing power or might even shame or bully individuals towards destructive behavior.  Anonymity allows for a greater involvement in actions and speech that otherwise might turn the identifiable individual away in fear of social reprisal.

Anonymity is not some new trend.  Writers throughout history have created pen names for themselves for a variety of reasons most commonly as a means of protecting themselves from public backlash against their opinions and or to allow for a broader sense of artistic freedom within the means of their expressed medium.  The apparent rise in anonymity within the contexts of new media is just a reflection of the same set of justifications that Samuel Langhorne Clemens accessed when creating the famed writer Mark Twain.  There are infinitely more individuals about the global net publishing user created content.  It only makes sense that many of these content creators might choose to represent themselves through anonymity.  Of course this can and often does get whacked completely out of proportions.

Examples of this new understanding of anonymous mob mentality can be seen in political action involvements and within spheres of despicable behavior.  The anonymous group spurred from the infamous site 4chan have created several instances where their combined anonymity has shifted and changed events towards both positive and negative outcomes.  In this sense they have become a force to reckon with that is both heroic and dastardly.  Due to this groups antics, Anonymous has become both a visual and cultural icon.  The big debate of this argument comes into apparent sight when we attempt to elicit control over such a broad influential group whose members are but ghosts within the net.

I feel that the existing fear associated around the concepts of online anonymity begin to take root once the ideals of control and responsibility become undefinable.  When no one individual can be assessed with blame and or guilt for specific actions and speech, fear ensues.  It is an out of date social model to believe in individualized responsibility.  The global connectivity offered by the Internet has created communities outside of time and space.  These communities act as a hive and there is no chance of containing an enraged hive.  Thus becomes the pivotal point at which society at large must recognize the force of the anonymous group.