Critics split over DDoS attacks on Scientology Websites associated with the Church of Scientology are intermittently unavailable today after an internet activists group calling itself Anonymous declared war on the controversial organisation. In a statement posted via video on YouTube and through various internet sites, Anonymous claimed its actions were designed to …
The group is a merger between the chans including among others 4chan and 7chan. The word anonymous is used to describe anyone from any of the chans, since as the name suggests everything is posted anonymously.
e.g.
"Hey Anon, find this MySpace profile and win 100 internets"
I don't agree with Anonymous' use of DDOS attacks, but hey, I can't stop 'em... and if anyone had to be DDOSed, I suppose you couldn't find a better and more worthwhile candidate. Why don't hackers, spammers and virus writers contribute to society like this more often? I'm sure they'd get a lot more support that way...
While I understand and agree in principle with free speach meaning allowing even those you disagree with their say, society as a whole MUST impose limits. Perhaps the best known example of this is the statement "The right of free speech does not carry with it the right to shout 'Fire!' in a crowded theatre."
By Andreas Lund's argument, confidence tricksters and fraudsters would be protected in their false and misleading claims by the "right of free speech". A health-product vendor could falsely claim that some magic herb he sells cures cancer, and be protected in this claim by the "right of free speech". Obviously, for our society to function, we have to draw the line somewhere.
It has been demonstrated many times - Mr. Lund even admits it himself - that the CoS is a criminal and fraudulent organisation whose activities have destroyed lives and families. The legal system has proven powerless to destroy this organisation. Why the CoS hasn't been branded as a "terror group" or simply outlawed as a crime syndicate by now is beyond me.
Since the governments of the world are not doing anything about this obscene cult, it falls to We The People to take matters into our own hands. This is what Anonymous have done, and I fully concur with their actions. This isn't playing into the CoS's hands. It is doing something serious about ridding our society of an insidious and poisonous social disease.
The Church of Scientology may be a bunch of litigious wankers but you can't defend your right of free speech by taking someone else's away. Tom Cruise is the best thing that ever happened to those aimed at stopping this plainly dangerous cult, it's probably better just to let the former Mr. Kidman just keep talking bollocks and he'll do the job for you. But we can't turn into vigilantes however tawdry our system of justice is, it's still better than lynchings.
This "Anonymous" group sounds lilke a bigger bunch of nutters than the Church of Scientology. I agree with Andreas Hendal-Lund: Anonymous denial-of-service attacks are only going to make people sympathise with the Scientologists.
Frankly, give me a Scientologist to an anonymous denial-of-service hacker anyday, thank you.
Whilst ‘Operation Clambake’ may be in agreement with old Voltaire quote (i am not even gonna bother repeating it, we all know it), freedom of speech has limitations and should not be used as a ‘get-out-of-everything’ card, $cientologys use of ‘freedom of speech’ has ensnared thousands of vulnerable people, who have been scammed out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and have had their lives ruined; the financial loss to the CO$ victims is the amongst the lightest of effects it followers have suffered.
I fully support Anonymous in their attack on this repugnant cult, and only hope that the CO$ are put through the same stress, worry and loss, their victims have been.
Basically, f*** ‘em.
Steve Roper wrote: "[...] society as a whole MUST impose limits. Perhaps the best known example of this is the statement 'The right of free speech does not carry with it the right to shout 'Fire!' in a crowded theatre.'"
Unless, of course, there's a fire. This may be such a case.
Actually, if you take a look at the website in the article it says the DDoS attacks have done the job.
>Stop DDoSing! CoS and major media outlets are aware of the situation. Begin bumping Digg, Youtube, Google, etc. Generate and send press releases and letters to media. Conduct PR campaigns in online and offline media. Use the information and resources to craft arguments for the downfall of CoS. Correct media and CoS errors/rebuttals. Generate mainstream negative attention towards CoS.
I do think they have more in mind than constant DDoS attacks.
A religious organisation that you have to be an active member of in order to follow the religion.
Splitting the CoS down the middle into the Traditional CoS and the Reformed CoS would do a lot of good for the religion but sadly it would be blocked by copyright law. Imagine if the Bible were suddenly copyrighted to the Catholic church.
Such groups as CoS are allowed to fester away because those who wield power in our UK/US societies don't want to have to try and explain in public the difference between their religeon and a load of made-up hokum used to control the weak-willed.
It's all bullshit but those who profit from bullshit will be reluctant to condem someone elses in case their house of cards collapses along with them..
Number of real wars started in the name of Scientology.. none as far as I know.
Number of real wars started in the name of Christianity.. I've lost count.
They won't want people thinking about that too hard will they?
if Xenu has enough technology to design spaceships that look like DC-10s and soul catchers, then the Scientologists must have mastered the concept of a packet-switching network (like in "Independence Day") and DDOS attacks should be the equivalent of a fly to be swatted away with impunity.
(Unless, of course, it is all bunk!)
Does this mean that the CoS will die by the finger?
*Ahem*, just before I get my coat...
I agree with what the Annonymous legion are up to from one point of view, because if governments will not fight the evil of cults, then perhaps these virtual vigilanties could shut down the marketing capabilities and online payment facilities of these cults; thereby protecting depressed yet hopeful innocents from being turned into brainwashed cash cows or sex slaves.
Granted the 'legion' may not actually be able to do much because they are only attacking on online prescence with a DoS attack, and not for example, hacking in and spreading about all of their secret information all over social sites and the rest of the internet.
Yet, if they did, it could be no more illegal or morally incorrect than the UK government giving away tens of millions of personal data files and even hundreds of top secret military files etc to foreign organisations, or letting it get lost in the post, or letting it get nicked out of cars (complete with a hard disk which contains unencrypted data which was deleted but perhaps not overwritten).
As others have said, dumb move. First, DDoS attacks are illegal, no matter who the victim is. Second, you are just handing the clams an enormous stick to beat you with.
Scientology loves publicity, it loves to play the persecution card, it loves to have someone to attack, and more than anything it loves to have someone to sue (search for the name "Keith Henson" if you think I'm not serious).
Instead, fight back by urging people to take a look at www.xenu.net.
Considering the church was created by a B grade Sci-Fi author I'm surprised so many people are duped into it. Bout time someone chose to act as a balance.
Based on the behavior of the Church of Scientology I think it's only fair a counter group respond in just an immoral way. Get what you give.
As soon as anyone is in fear of saying what they feel the line has been crossed and something must be done about it!
I wont pretend to be the one to decide just how that should be done. After all a super power with a great deal of money, power and resources behind it, has failed to answer the question itself.
From their point of view; Church of Scientology should chill out and enjoy the fruits. The antagonistic behavior is only going to make their own lives harder.
(To The Register, I hope you don't start omitting material because of pressure from them.)
P.S. I wasn't too keen on Tom Cruise since he joined, but this recent (dodgy) interview (for me) has put him in the same list as Michael Jackson, and Hitler and the like...
All the denial of service crap is only advertising the scientology website. they would be FAR better off with a co-ordinated google-bomb attempt to move xenu.net to 1st position in the google search rankings for the word "scientology". Most webmasters would lend a hand with that, I think - posting a pre-formatted page linking the word scientology to xenu.net somewhere on their sites. I know I would.
And ok, for laughs then maybe a couple of xss redirects if they could find a vulnerability ;)
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