Hello internet.
I was not really that into codes when I read The Code Book by Simon Singh. It was before one of my many failed attempts to get into Oxford, and I wanted some conceptually heavy trivia to impress with. Though that didn't work, it did give me a small taste for cryptography, which in turn led to an interest in hacker culture. I will readily admit I don't know the first thing about any kind of programming. I have a loose grasp of certain concepts, but I am very much a fascinated spectator in this particular social development.
Recently a lot of headlines have been made by groups like Anonymous and LulzSec, who have directly challenged the authority of the state by attacking its assets and undermining its activities. The online economy has taken a new turn with the growing popularity of Bitcoins which allow tax free incomes and the exchange of contraband. Governments seem incapable of effectively policing what happens online, and a large part of this is due to the protection anonymity provides people. Apart from the fascinating philosophical questions about identity we can pose with so much interaction taking place anonymously, to me the interesting thing about these trends is the immunity from state power available to people with sufficient know-how.
It always interests me when trends like this emerge.
Caleb
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