Re: the guardian article on J.E.D.

[Brad Waugh <waugh@lola.phy.queensu.ca>]

[: hacktivism :]

I find the following quote worrisome

xdaydreamx wrote:
> What I find most interesting about this whole affair is the speed with
> which what was loosely discussed on this list (an elsewhere as well,
> I'm sure) found it's way into the big press. To me it demonstrates
> that hacktivism is very effective,


You do not define in what ways hacktivism is (or isn't) effective. 
Surely this has only "demonstrated" that hacktivism (in this instance)
has been effective at garnering mainstream attention.  This is not the
same as the statement that hacktivism is effective at making real
change, or anything else for that matter.  Media attention (especially
mainstream) is not our end goal, so unless you explicitly link this
attention to that end goal you have not "demonstrated" anything.  

The truth is very convoluted when it comes to discussing the positive
AND negative impacts of _any_ mainstream attention on a movement, and I
am happy to admit that some strategies are good at grabbing headlines
and even that at times this may be an effective route to take, but I
have also worked on actions/campaigns where we have decided to resist
the mainstream co-optation of our message by shunning the media...

Brad

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