Re: Ehippies new DoS tools and information

[Ben Earnhart <bearnhar@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu>]

[: hacktivism :]

Seems like you're getting at the core of what I'm curious about -- whether
or not the tools that are used in physical activism can and should be used
in virtual space, and how a pure information model is different from a
mixed information/physicality model.

For example, much of what is gained by a sit-in in real life often isn't
due to the actual inconvenience it poses to the recipients (they could just
go to another office building and do whatever it is they would normally
do), but rather the bad publicity (information flow).  Similarly, a virtual
sit-in is only as effective as its effects on information flow -- you could
shut down a website for a while, but if nobody was going there in the first
place, or nobody notices, who cares, policy does not change (the Zapista
incident, or the FBI site)  Or, conversely, you could *fail* to shut down a
website, but by gaining enough notice (etoy vs. etoys for example) generate
enough publicity to achieve your goals.  

There are many nuances to this issue, and I hope that this listserve helps
to explore them.  When there is a sucessful protest in the physical world,
there is often a lot of (to use a really bad euphemism) "collateral damage"
as the lives of local people are disrupted.  Similarly, DoS attacks can
cause hassles for people other than the intended recipient -- but one thing
might be to keep in mind is that those whe were disrupted might potentially
look at the company they keep.  Maybe such attacks might motivate
corporations and/or individuals to clean up their online neighborhoods.
I'm still not sure that DoS attacks are a good thing, and that the best way
would certainly be to raise awareness and/or distribute information better
-- but sometimes desperate people take desperate measures, and sometimes
it's appropriate.

The distinction between a DDoS attack by unwitting participants and a DoS
*or* DDoS attack by deliberately participating indviduals seems (IMHO) to
be a critical distinction -- the former may be carried out by a few
"script-kiddies" or whatever you might want to call those idiots, but the
latter can only happen with the deliberate participation of a large group
of motivated people.  Of course, the only way to motivate them is to get
them information... so it ends up depending on information flow like in the
ideal world.

If there is a way to distribute information effectively and motivate people
to act on that information (whether with their buying behavior, sending
serious emails, writing their congressperson/MoP, or whatever), then great,
end DoS attacks.  But until the information method is perfected, hitting
them in the $$/balls/guts sometimes works, and sometimes helps in
distributing information.  

some thoughts, 

Ben(t)
                

At 01:49 PM 3/7/2000 -0700, you wrote:
>[: hacktivism :]
>
>
>So what we have now is Hacktivism boiling down to nothing more then Script
>Kiddie antics. Great. I am sure this will help to convince people that it
>is a legit method of action.
>
>While looking over the paper posted on the ElectroHippies web site, it
>became clear the person who wrote it thinks that the laws don't apply to
>them that may apply to other people who may launch DoS atacks.
>
>The reasons they say for these DoS actions being justified were that in
>the DDoS attacks against Yahoo, etc, third party systems were broken into
>and used an amplifiers. For these DoS attacks, only your system is used
>against a target and no outside systems are used, therefore making a clear
>line between these evil crackers and their nobel efforts.
>
>Well lets look at the big picture. When Yahoo was taken offline due to the
>DDoS attacks, not only Yahoo was taken down, but so was EVERYONE that used
>Yahoos same Internet Provider, because they were all on the same backbone.
>So lets say insted of 2 people, we get 100 people to DoS the WTO web site
>and it grinds to a halt. Well not only is the WTO being punished, but
>again, so is EVERYONE on that same Internet Providers backbone. 
>
>DoS attacks are more like the carpet bombing used in Vietnam. Sure you may
>hit the target, but then again, you hit everyone else around it,
>regardless if they are innocent or not.
>
>Not to mention, DoS attacks are a federal crime and could land you in jail
>for quite a while.
>
>I have gotton a ton of hate mail and flames over my last few posts, so you
>people out there with nothing better to say then "f*** off" can save it.
>
>Hacktivism should not boil down to DoS attcks and script kiddie antics, it
>should be about making changes and informing people.
>
>Right now a team I am on is working closely with human rights groups and 
>hacker groups on a set of hacktivism applications to be released this
>summer at DefCon. It will show that Hacktivism is a real way to use the
>net for to blend activism and technology in a posive way, while helping
>people at the same time.
>
>Hacktivism shold be about positive actions and bringing issues to light,
>not about punishing people or companies over views you may not agree with.
>
>regards,
>   Bronc Buster
>bronc@attrition.org
>
>
>On Mon, 6 Mar 2000, the electrohippies collective wrote:
>
>> [: hacktivism :]
>> 
>> Hi everyone,
>> 
>> Here's some information on the electrohippies new online resources.
>> 
>> Following on from our online action to coincide with the WTOs Seattle
>> conference, we will shortly be launching some new client-side Internet
>> activism tools. One of these - the client side denial of service tool, is
>> already beta-testing with campaigners in Europe and the USA.
>> 
>> To aid the debate on denial-of-service protest action we have produced a
>> discussion paper - "Client-side Distributed Denial-of-Service: valid
>> campaign tactic or terorrist act?" - which we have posted on our website.
>> 
>> Another paper on distributed email actions, entitled "Distributed Email
>> Actions: speaking truth to power via the 'Net", will be going online in the
>> next few weeks.
>> 
>> We've also set up an email list to distribute information about online
>> activism which anyone is free to join (even those we're helping other to
>> campaign against, or even those who want to stop our type of online
action).
>> 
>> To access the website and the discussion paper go to:
>> 
>> http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/ehippies/
>> 
>> 
>> Note also that our next planned action will be in April on the issue of
>> genetically modified crops.
>> 
>> 
>> Finally, some of those receiving this email - those involved with Internet
>> security and security issues - will be questioning why we sent it to them.
>> Answer: we have nothing to hide. We believe in open and accountable online
>> actions. In our view the design of the 'Net is such that open and
>> democratic e-action are inevitable, and therefore those who are the subject
>> of such actions should be warned in advance so that they have a chance to
>> recant their perceived wrong-doing. Short of closing or disconnecting the
>> servers involved, those on the receiving end of e-actions have no viable
>> defence from a well supported online campaign. The legal situation in
>> relation to the type of actions we organise is also straightforward - we
>> only use the 'Net as it was intended, and therefore it does not constitute
>> an abuse of computer systems. So we chose to be open and accountable.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> Bye dudes!
>> 
>> the electrohippies collective
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> =====================================
>> 
>>               the electrohippies collective
>> 
>>         spreading the philosophy and practice
>>        of online activism in the UK and Europe
>> 
>>   website - http://www.gn.apc.org/pmhp/ehippies/
>> 
>> 
>>      "the banana is big, but the skin is bigger"
>> 
>> =====================================
>> 
>> 
>> [: hacktivism :]
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>> 
>
>
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>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
           Ben Earnhart
    Department of Sociology (student)
         University of Iowa
          Iowa City, Iowa
           (319) 335-2505
    bearnhar@blue.weeg.uiowa.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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