“Ain’t no such thing as halfway crooks…” -Mobb Deep, “Shook Ones,” Infamous Mobb Deep “there are so many different anonymous networks with different terms of use so i keep mixing them up” -Anonymous on Anonymous (#anonops) September 25, 2011 Joseph … Continue reading “Is it a Crime? The Transgressive Politics of Hacking in Anonymous”
Author: Biella Coleman
Authored by Biella Coleman
Is Anonymous Anarchy?
Biella ColemanFor many, the political movement known as Anonymous conjures one thing and one thing alone: anarchy. I have now seen this association made so many times, I thought it might be a good idea to lay out in some detail … Continue reading “Is Anonymous Anarchy?”
Proposals for Periscope
Biella ColemanSocial Text is currently accepting proposals for Periscope, the journal’s curated web forum of illuminating critical opinion on contemporary political and theoretical affairs. Previous Periscopes have focused on topics as diverse as Queer Suicide, the South African World Cup, and … Continue reading “Proposals for Periscope”
The Dramatic Face of Wikileaks
Biella ColemanWikileaks: It has caused a firestorm of debate among very different sectors of the population and about different topics: from the state of journalism (is it broken is it not?); to how much secrecy is acceptable for diplomatic negotiations, the … Continue reading “The Dramatic Face of Wikileaks”
Trolling and refueling the tank of spectacle
Biella ColemanSo I got to Internet Trolls via my work on Anonymous vs the Church of Scientology but I have remained interested in grappling with them independent of Anonymous. In the last few weeks, I had the chance to bump up … Continue reading “Trolling and refueling the tank of spectacle”
University of Puerto Student Strike
Biella ColemanFor nearly a month, a large swath of University of Puerto Rico students across campuses on the island are striking new policies that limit tuition waivers, among others. They have taken over the main campus leading to its shutdown until … Continue reading “University of Puerto Student Strike”
It is Already Limited
Biella ColemanWould you hit it? *(by which I mean would you go to this conference?). The title is Limiting Knowledge in a Democracy and check out the list of speakers. Oh wait a minute… are there just two, 2, dos, deux women listed out of 27 (fyi 7.4%)?
On Internet Punditry and Engendering Change
Biella ColemanOne day a very well known Internet theorist writes a rant on women. The rant generates controversy, controversy lands theorist on WNYC (On the Media), despite the fact the he does not really work on the politics of gender. If … Continue reading “On Internet Punditry and Engendering Change”
collateral murder
Biella ColemanIf anyone claims that “geek” or hacker politics is x (x usually being some version of libertarianism), I wouldn’t buy it. In fact, just like any sphere and arena, geek politics are remarkably varied.
Logos of our Lives
Biella ColemanTwo of the more influential books that have taken swipe at our contemporary intellectual property landscape concerned themselves with trademark, logos, and capitalism. Here I am thinking of Rosemary Coombe’s seminal The Cultural Life of Intellectual Property and Naomi Klein’s more activist take on the subject, No Logo. What would happen if you condensed the arguments in these two books into a 15 minute video?
Hacker and Troller as Trickster
Biella ColemanIf you read the literature on tricksters, you will confront a string of words that capture the moral quality and sensibilities of these figures, figures scattered across time and place and largely enshrined in myths and stories: Cunning, deceit, … Continue reading “Hacker and Troller as Trickster”
Sea Shepherd in New Zealand
Biella Coleman
Last fall, after watching At the Edge of the World I became obsessed with the eco-radical conservation group Sea Shepherd who have been around since the 1970s trying to put an end to commercial whaling. So when I learned that I was going to New Zealand for the month of January, I was keen to find out whether Sea Shepherd was more present in the public than in the US.
10 Year WTO/Seattle Protest Anniversary
Biella ColemanWe are right around the corner from the tenth anniversary of the street protests that erupted on the streets of Seattle. To commemorate this anniversary, there are a slew of talks, screening, and events around the country. In NYC on … Continue reading “10 Year WTO/Seattle Protest Anniversary”