Sock Puppetry 711

So it would seem my rantings about Anonymous and 4chan have been garnering some unintended attention.

After my post regarding LulzSec last week, I was contacted by... how shall we say this... an old accomplice from back in my 4chan'ing days.
She was (and still is) a moderator at what is known as the "cesspool of the internet, the largest English language image board in the world (the 2nd largest of all image boards, 1st being the legendary 2channel).
She told me that my posts regarding my former internet hangout had not gone unnoticed by the roving eye of the body-Anon. I knew well what she meant (there are certain factions of Anonymous that make it their business to "police" the internet, and in particular, keep tabs on possible threats to their organization and interesting persons, and in my making mention of them, had raised a redflag).
Instead of warning me against any further actions, she instead asked if I would be interested in re-joining "the great work".

Even back in my more active days of 4chan'ing, I was merely a "lurker" (someone who just cruises the site, rarely contributing to any discussions). Once all the "invading" started happening, I was mildly amused at first... but got over it quickly.
I, like the majority of "oldfags", viewed the whole thing as being beneath us. We had more interesting things to do. Some had even more interesting things to do than others... namely, hacking.
While I was never directly involved in any of their activities, I knew many people who were, and knew of their exploits. They fancied themselves a real life Neo or Morpheus or Trinity, infiltrating places they weren't meant to, just for the hell of it.

Anyway, I told her I didn't have the skills required for anything they might be planning, but I might tag along for old times sake.

We shall see where this goes...

[edit]: Fear not, oh ye who know so little of the neither regions of the internet. There is no danger to those who do not impede the progress of the greater mob of Anonymous.

[edit: for a direct Google+ head-to-head comparison with FaceBook, check out this article]-

http://www.pcmag.com/slideshow/story/266334/6-things-google-can-do-that-facebook-can-t

It has been somewhat amusing watching all the hubbub develop between LulSec, Anonymous, and the various groups they're going after/groups that are after them.

A hilarious attempt at journalism by The Sun, covering the arrest of the "mastermind" behind LulSec.
and
LulSec & Anonymous make the FBI most wanted list.

As a previous participant of the realm from which they were both hatched (myself being a retired "oldfag /b/tard" from 4chan), I guess I'm lucky enough to appreciate the humor behind the attacks (for the lulz, man).
But I can also appreciate the (hopeful) ultimate goal of these groups.

Originally, Anonymous was nothing more than the moniker of anyone who posted on certain image boards. It was not a group, so much as a way of behavior (see: John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory).

In fact, Fight Club could be said to be the spiritual predecessor to the current state of Anonymous.
What started out as fun and games, suddenly decided to get serious.
Groups of "Anons" began to get together to plan "raids" or "invasions" of other websites. At first it was all "for the lulz", but soon, the participants realized, working together, they actually had some significant online muscle. Those more "noble" of the Anons proposed that they use their powers for "good" (or, fighting what they considered "evil"). 
Essentially, they decided to emulate the beginnings of Project Mayhem.

And that's when the first great schism occurred.
The "newfag" Anons wanted to go off and create this better world, and the "oldfags" wanted to continue business as usual and watch the world burn.
Those Anons that decided to dedicate themselves to the fight are the ones we've seen on the news, taking on Scientology and defending Wikileaks.
The Anons we DON'T see working in the shadows were the ones to REALLY be wary of.
... that is, until they decided to come OUT of the shadows.

Enter, LulSec.

Frankly, if they can move on from petty website info snatch'n'grabs and on to more worthwhile attacks, THEN I will be interested (anything that brings us closer to Project Mayhem's ultimate goal is A-OK BY ME!). 
But as for the moment, they seem to be content with their lulz making.
*shrug*

TL;DR
Anonymous is the first "internet superconscious".
They are simultaneously everyone and no one.
LulzSec is just an extension of that fact.
Even if you were to cut off an appendage, the body as a whole will still be able to continue without them.
Think of them as an internet hydra, with trolls for heads.
... good luck trying to take that down.

THE ADVENTURES OF DICK DANGER  

I was told that we had to make this thing called a "sock puppet".  Basically  a sock puppet is a digital person. Like a puppet it's control by the master puppeteer (me). The puppet has a name, personality, background, and friends. My SP is named Dick Danger, and is a American, College student who is studying Aerospace technology in Japan. Personally D. Danger is shy, hard-working, smart, mild mannered young man. He's trying to find his place in the world, and make his life better. 

The story gets interesting when I started to make Dick Danger a  FaceBook account. When making my account I expected that only the people in my class would only be friend me. Of course I let a few people in on what I was doing like my girlfriend.

Then one day I got a message from some one that I know from my regular account          ( because I befriended myself). This person was my girlfriends single friend. At first i thought of just telling her the truth, but then I got an ideal. She could fit into my story and make this character real and bring some life to my story. So, I decided then to see how real I could make Dick Danger.

     So let's call her Rina; She's a nice girl who lives in Japan and has just broke up with her boyfriend(who's she's only met once and was dating him for only 3 months) that she meet on the Internet. How Ironic!!!!

 Now I step in and become the rebound, but before I do this I needed to make Dick Danger's story just a little more believable. So I enlisted the help of my girlfriend to help with the background for D.D. She would testify to Rina that she had met D.D. and that he's a nice guy, and the basics of who he was founded from me.

 Now I had the stage set and it was time to make my sock puppet act. I started off subtle and brief, letting her know who I was and what i was the purpose for living in Japan. Slow in steady is how I wanted to play the game, also I needed to stay in character. One way that I did this was that when explaining the reason why I don't have a pick of myself on FB I told her that, in the future I  wanted to work for the government and if by some chance someone went into my past I wouldn't have any crazy photo shopped pics of my self that could be used to incriminate me.

      So now that she took the bate it was time to move to the next stage. I then keep in contact with her letting my girl know how things were turning out and also being that she was also my friend I'm encouraging her to talk more to DD. She of course asked me more about him and what he was like so I had to be careful not to give her to much. So that's where I'm at now a few emails were sent, but no talking has taken place. The reason for this is that DD doesn't have time to talk and is kinda shy and like most Japanese, he likes to text more.

So now i"m set in with her and I know from talks with myself she's kinda interested In DD, but I need help to find what to do next. So please set your mind to twisted and leave a comment to direct this story to new heights.!!!!!! NEXT ON THE ADVENTURES OF DICK DANGER!!!! "YOU LEAD THE WAY!!"

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth had no form. It was empty, covered with darkness and water. Then the Spirit of God hovered over the water, and God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good…

Then God said, “Let the water under the heaven be gathered together in one place, and let the dry land appear,” and it happened.

And God called the dry land “earth”; and the gathering together of the waters He called “seas”: and God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the earth produce grass, and herbs, and fruit trees, all yielding after their own kind,” and it happened; And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the earth be filled with living creatures.” So He made the animals on the earth, the cattle, and every thing that crawls upon the earth—all producing after their kinds; and God saw that it was good.

…with time animals called humans started to form communities, then societies, then nations. Then nations were divided by different values, cultures, believes. In many cases those values were materialistic; cultures, in many cases, based on humiliation and imposed rule on weaker; and believes are weak and can be sold. God saw that it was NOT good.

…on March 11 2011 God sent on earth two disasters earth quake and tsunami. And God said “let those survive learn a lesson and reconsider their lives” but human were ahead and made third disaster to happen: nuclear threat. And God said “I let you be” and God left…

…disaster left many people homeless, died, or missing. Number of people still suffering and can not help themselves they were left by elected leaders and no one wants to help them. People in need are not afraid they believe God will come back to them and help them…

http://www.inms.umn.edu/elements/media.php?title=Media

http://www.prairienet.org/op/stories/technology/adding-video-images-and-audio/

Hey all! This is Sho. I'm finally done with my first digital story telling: blackout poetry.

Please forgive me for the boring sentenses. It's my first attempt and was quite difficult for me to create sentensens you know!
I'll try to make some more. I hope next blackout poetry is gonna be a little more goofy and funny.
Have a nice day!
Sho

After some technological missteps during the first couple of weeks of the course, I'm pleased to report that the classroom component of SP711 is starting to build some momentum. Students did a great job of building four draft syllabi which will soon be woven into some form of document to greet and explain to newly arriving sock puppets what's happening with this course. Hopefully the document will be pulled together later this week.

After students presented their draft syllabi last Friday, they were asked to write a blog post to serve as a starting point for the first digital story project. Prior to this, they'd scanned Cogdog's 50 + Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story, the ds106 Assignment Bank, and Bryan Alexander's New Digital Storytelling site to get ideas for possible projects. 

In tonight's class, we will have a look at the students' blogs and discuss ways to go about tackling the projects. Some of the interesting early submissions we'll look at include:

• Sho Tanaka's plan to use Black Out Poetry
• Yamasavina's idea to mash Creative Commons music with anmated GIFs
• Faked Nielsen's intriguing idea to build a parody based on the Japan Naval Self Defense Force's mascot character: Oton (pictured above)

Hopefully those interested in joining the fun can get a sense of what where up to checking the awesome student blogs. Until I'm able to figure out how to set up a mega RSS feed with each of the blogs, the best way to track the blogs down is from this Netvibes page.

The very premise that this course will be peopled by sock puppets producing digital stories that are scheduled for deletion might appear on first blush to be comprised of unsound methods. Fair enough. We realize that this venture certainly won't help us in our quest for the tenure. But we have a faith that there might well be something to be learned through the project. And it could be fun, to boot.

The fact that it involves an element of fakery and deception has led our administrivial overseers to direct us not to proceed. The reply to the overseers was the same as the famous general to "Gerry" when ordered to surrender back in WWII, "Balls!" 

As the course is being offered under the model of a Massive Open Online Course, it is necessary that it be made available to any and all who wish to particpate. At present, there is no formal mechanism or documentation to aid those in getting started. 

If you're reading these words and have an inkling of interest to get involved, please set up an email account for your sock puppet and send a message to otto.paertz@gmail.com. We will assist you from there.

It might not help you get you get your tenure. But it might challenge the way you think about some things like art, authorship, identity and permanence. 

errata: upon further review, it turns out the aforementioned General whose name was McAuliffe said "Nuts!" not "Balls!" - at least if this is to be trusted.