Development of a Phenomena.

What is Anonymous?
Basically, for first timers, they are an online activist group, but if you didn’t know that already,read this Wikipedia entry – Anonymous for a broad outline. Maybe the best article about Anonymous to date is the following Anonymous Explained: How a Web Movement Was Born

Development over the last few months.
But the interesting thing about Anonymous is not what they are, claim to be, or were, but simply the change that is apparent over the last few months..

There has been a vast change in presentation, that has given rise to a clearer identification of the message they are trying to convey. Almost a professionalism. Instead of issuing the usual statements (we are legion etc) in a rather pre-pubescent comical way, they have cultured a clear message that caters and appeals to a very wide audience of activists. They are still difficult to fathom by your average activist, but few will be able to dismiss the message as the correlation is just too close to their own message going back decades. Equality, freedom, liberty etc.

Fundamentally important in backing up their message is not only an absolute clear lack of Racism or Prejudice (unless you are a controlling authority), but also a very clear activist stance towards the genuinely disenfranchised (Women, the Arab street, as examples). Read their open letter (right)

This video is also a good example of professionalism on display.

They are also true to their word. A good example of following their own policy is as follows: . As can be seen by the screen grab from the Anonnews website, the put the pro and anti publicity right there on the front page open for comment. You don’t see your average newspaper displaying articles that are negative about them or their procedures.

There doesn’t seem to be any one place to go to get an independent and objective understanding of the idea/activity/organisation behind Anonymous, but some articles seem more informed than others. Here is a link to one.
Good Reference for some background:
What its like to Participate with Anonymous – The Atlantic – Gabriella Coleman

Anonymous News Site

Summary
If they are a bunch of script-kiddies as has been claimed, then fair play to them. However, having followed a lot of their general conversations online, I suspect the following There are a lot of script-kiddies in the overall concept, but there is a very professional group within it, or even advising to it.

As of today, everything they are doing is simply quite brilliant. Long may it continue.

Latest update video as of 11/Mar/2011