David: Never used mindmapping software... what's it involve? me: http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page me: it's useful for compiling information for easy display me: we're using it in researching Metal Gear me: http://wiki.echelon2.org/wiki/Main_Page me: also, am working with Gregg and Commissar on producing a master guide for starting and running online entities for purposes of activism, information warfare David: Commissar is back? me: with the intent of prompting the creation of dozens of such things by end of year me: yes David: That's... brilliant. me: and he has the document they were producing me: I've got it now David: I've been layin' low and handling personal stuff... David: I want in :) me: in addition to the rough draft of my own guide. We're going to combine the two into a final product me: yes, that's why I'm getting in touch me: I will share Commissar's document with you on Google David: Please do :) me: we want to get this done in next few weeks me: have also recruited some academic researcher types to assist with wiki David: nice. I'm terrible at academic research.... David: but I really value the work they do, obviously. me: just research, then me: they're doing what they do me: mostly we're just googling these firms and getting names of their execs, info on what they do specifically me: and then drawing up the connections David: so what do I do and where should I go to help you guys out now? I'll read Commissar's copypasta, and then? me: this will allow our journalists and others to better assess, investigate further, etc me: read a bit through the Metal Gear wiki for now me: and me: http://pastebin.com/UYzydAKq David: awesome. me: learn to use mindmapping software and look through these tools David: will do me: I'll share the doc with you in a sec David: oh hey, I've got one more thing David: http://oolongiv.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/davidson_on-the-very-idea.pdf David: this is a philosophy essay by Donald Davidson David: in which he basically lays the case that when communication occurs, movement towards a consensus is inevitable David: this undermines the dominant objection to internet-as-social-progress; namely, that any consensus that's reached is entirely arbitrary David: pass it along to a philosophically-inclined researcher type, I think it will prove useful later David: (he was writing about philosophy of mind, well before the internet) David: Basically, it's a philosophical proof that this project is not a waste of time. me: oic me: thanks, I'll incorporate this David: my pleasure :) David: brb David: back David: What's the inside word on the PSN hack? Does the 'inner circle' know more about who is responsible than the authorities, or do we genuinely have no idea (which is an outcome perfectly consistent with the 'idea' of Anonymous) David: (feel free not to answer, I'd understand) me: as far as I know we have no special info on it me: I'm agnostic though I suspect it may have been a setup me: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/may/06/anonymous-sony me: this is what I wrote about it yesterday David: Yeah, the way I see it, there's any number of possible explanations David: in the end, though, Anonymous declared war - and Sony got hurt. David: with nobody to pin the blame on. David: that's the essence of Anonymous. me: yep me: my goal and the goal of many others is to use Anonymous to incubate these smaller entities me: so that we can avoid that dynamic David: they couldn't even use RICO against Anonymous. The only way any government can oppose this force is to employ a 'war on terror' approach David: which is wildly unpopular even against REAL terrorists. David: well, 'wildly unpopular' is a stretch me: I want to see a great number of groups spring up, develop their own tactics, trade methodologies and learn from each other, collaborate when necessary, etc me: I think that's the best way forward David: increasingly unpopular. And clearly unconstitutional. David: yeah, proliferation is key. David: can't own this thing. David: you've read the 'open source insurgency' link I push around, haven't you? David: http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2008/03/starting-an-ope.html