Anonymous Article Questions

- Why this particular form of attack (DDoS)?

DDoS attacks are high-profile and require little technical knowledge to execute successfully.  Once there is a sufficient number of clients in the "hive," it's relatively easy to overwhelm a vulnerable webserver.  In this case, Anonymous did not target critical credit card processing infrastructure, instead opting to disrupt mainly corporate "brochure" websites.   No lasting damage is done to the target servers, so the DDoS makes for an effective political demonstration.

- Does Anyonymous identify with Assange in any way or support Wikileaks' actions?

Anonymous overwhelmingly supports the actions of WikiLeaks and its founder, Julian Assange.  They believe that freedom of information is a fundamental right, and perceive the actions of the corporations and government as direct attacks on that freedom.  There seems to be a common fear among members of Anonymous that the freedoms we enjoy online are slowly eroding.  These fears were compounded when the various corporations chose to suspend their respective accounts with WikiLeaks.

- (Related) your thoughts on more openness in government, and government itself

While I understand that the protection of top-secret information is a matter of national security, I believe the government could stand to become more transparent in most areas of daily activity.  The people of the United States have a right to know what is happening in their name.

- Is this an attack on institutions that are identifiable as authoritarian and monetary? I.e. were they attacked for being that way?

The various institutions were targeted because they chose independently to terminate their relationships with WikiLeaks.  Their willingness to comply with US pressures ultimately creates a system of privatized censorship in which the government doesn't need to lift a finger.  Anonymous has begun attacking these institutions in what is essentially an invocation of the "golden rule": what goes around comes around.

- What do you want ideally for the results of this action to be?

I don't personally support the DDoS attacks, although they have certainly served their purpose (mainstream media coverage).  I think Anonymous has the potential to become a truly significant movement for freedom if they continue to focus their efforts on peaceful protests and creative information campaigns.  Ideally, Anonymous would cease the DDoS attacks and cultivate a more publicly accessible voice.