Peer Review

Action Potentials: Extrapolating an Ideology from the Anonymous hacker socio-political movement (a qualitative meta-analysis)

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Reviewed:: Dec 28, 2017 by Information Technology

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Ratings

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Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This material defines the socio-technical context of this Anonymous hacker socio-political movement, which draws ideas from the Hacker Manifesto 2.0, which suggests the advent of a new economic system with the new technological vectors (mediums of communication). Anonymous hackers, a loosely-connected online group of people engaged in a range of hacking-related activities, claims to be leaderless and not to have any ideology. This chapter in the book "Digital Democracy and the Impact of Technology on Governance and Politics: New Global Practices", examines four main areas to explore in order to detect any ideology: "the current socio-political context of hacking and hacktivism; the group’s self-definition; the group’s actions; and the insights of others about the group." The results of this exploration indicate the group's aim to counteract a developing trend towards control of intellectual property by governments. This specific material presents meta information regarding the chapter including the abstract. A link to the full chapter is provided.
Type of Material:: Book Chapter (perhaps closest to Journal -Article)
Recommended Uses:: This chapter provides stand-alone coverage of one topic. It may be difficult to integrate into many courses, but could be used to launch various types of further research. Students might investigate forces in the digital world on democracy. Or, students might evaluate the effectiveness of the demonstrated research techniques in carrying out this type of analysis. Or they might explore issues relating to the ethics of anonymity. Etc.
Technical Requirements:: Adobe Reader.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: Research material regarding Anonymous hacker group.
Target Student Population:: College, Undergraduate, Graduate
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Understanding of the flow of information over the Internet.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: Provides an interesting look into an unusual and possibly undermining force in the distribution of information in today's digital world. The chapter explores an approach to analyzing the ideology of a group that professes to have none. The results indicate that this may not be the full story. The subject is relevant and the approach is insightful.
Concerns:: Both the quantity and validity of the information are limited by the policies of the group.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: This 59-page chapter can be used as is. In addition to the abstract, it defines essential terms, discusses each of the four identified sources of information, presents a comprehensive list of questions that would give insight into an organization such as this, and provides over 60 references. There are also two appendices - each with a conclusion and additional references. Although it is difficult to assess the potential effectiveness of this particular type of research, it is well organized and highly informational.
Concerns:: While interesting, the chapter is not a comprehensive learning object. It may be difficult to integrate into a course. It provides no interactivity, little or no coordination with related topics, and no assessment or feedback components.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The chapter is in one .pdf file. Use is dependent on a pdf reader, but is otherwise predictable and without interference.
Concerns:: The column style of the chapter makes it awkward to read on any computer monitor that does not display the entire page at once. Readers will read down column 1 and then need to return to the top of the same page to continue with column 2.

Other Issues and Comments:: Excellent resource material.
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