Hacktivism

Making voices heard over the Internet 駭客行动主义。透过网路让不同的声音被人们听见。

Hackers are people who have advanced computer skills. Activists gather like-minded people together to protest unfair laws laws and practices or to promote a cause. Over the last 20 years or so, these two kinds of people have started joining forces to promote a new kind of Internet-related activism called hacktivism.

The participants, or hacktivists, include computer programmers, artists, activists and ordinary people. Instead of using their real names, many hacktivists use handles - combinations of numerals and letters -that mask their real identities. As opposed to cyber criminals, who use their hacking skills to steal, hacktivists are driven by ideals. They might seek to reveal weaknesses in security systems, protest policies that limit freedom or simply draw media attention to certain causes.

The term backtivism was first coined by members of the hacker group CULT OF THE DEAD COW (cDc) in the late 1990s. In an essay titled "Waging Peace on the Internet," Group member Oxblood Ruffin describes hacktivism as "using technology to advance human rights through electronic media." Of course, not all hacktivists agree with Ruffin's opinion.

Hacktivists tend to agree on keeping the Internet free. But their methods of involving supporters vary. The Electronic Disturbance Theater (EDT) is a group that arranges virtual sit-ins, in which users voluntarily participate in protests against unfair treatment of students or workers. If enough users visit a site at one time, it crashes.

The headline-grabbing group Anonymous has used tactics such as posting links that trick users into participating in one of their distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. When the U.S. Department of Justice shut down megaupload.com last January, Anonymous perceived the move as a threat to Internet freedom. They responded by launching an attack that shut down the Department of Justice site as well as several music industry sites.  Hacktivist group site as well as several music industry sites.

Hacktivist graoup Telecomix uses its technical abilities to help people build emergency communication networks. During last year's protests against former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Telecomix helped protesters communicate with each other after high-speed Internet services were shut down.

Whether hacktivists should be considered heroes or troublemakers is open to interpretation. The only thing for sure is that people with passion and skill will attempt to keep the World Wide Web open and free.

Grammar Tips:
As opposed to cyber criminals who use their hacking skills to steal, hacktivists are driven by ideals.
"as opposed to " - point out that are very difference between two things. also mean " while."
If you're feeling lonely, why not go and find someone to help as opposed to staying at home and feeling sorry for yourself?
As opposed to dining at a fancy restaurant, Mr. And Mrs. Clark decided to go on a picnic to celebrate their anniversary.

Vocabulary Tips:
hacker -非法侵入他人电脑的骇客。a person who is illegally  broke into other people's computer.
hack-侵入，illegal way to break into other people's computer.
*When he was in college, this famous computer company CEO was a hacker.
*These high school kids hacked into the main computer system of a local bank.
activist -活跃，激进的分子 a person has strong opinion try to make other people to know by protesting, walking on the street, hold the banner, sometimes cause trouble.
active -活跃，激进的
*These high school kids hacked into the main computer system of a local bank.
*Some civil rights activists are protesting in front of city hall.
*William has been a party activist for many years. 政党激进分子。。
activism -激进主义，主义行动。示威。to get their voice heard , let  people pay attention what they try to say.
hacktivism - let the voice to be heard by hacking into other people's computer system.
handle -门把，昵称，称号。a name of person, or a group or a place to be thier fake name as their identities.
identities -who you (they ) are.
*George uses different handles while playing different on-line games.
*Ben uses a cartoon character's name as his handle on Facebook.
tactic -战术，策略，方法，手段。a way, a plan, a method.
*This con artist changed his tactics so often that many were fooled by him.骗钱高手。。
*Oliver is an experienced salesman. He knows all the tactics to get the customers to buy.
perceive -感觉或理解，"ceive":有“ 接受”之意。something come out that make people believe..
*Entertainers are often perceived as self-centered and proud. 被认为，被解读，被理解为。。。
*The mayor's comment was perceived as an announcement of his intent to run for re-election.被解读为。。，被认为。。。
interpretation - 翻译，解释或解读。诠释。
The article is just the reporter's personal interpretation of this phenomenon. 他个人对这现象 的解读。
*Meryl Streep's excellent interpretation of Thatcher won her anther Oscar.。。。柴契尔夫人的精彩诠释，再次获得小金人。
phenomenon (n)- 现象，珍品，天才，非凡的人或物。
driven by -  motivated by...
waging - fight for it.... (try to seeking peace in Internet)
advance - move forward.
disturbance - interrupt, cause trouble.
sit-in : a public event, a group of people enter a place, occupy the place and refuse to leave (let people notice them) 霸占某处，予以示威。。
virtual -虚拟，不存在于真实的世界中。
crash - damaged, not working anymore. break down.

Chat Room:
title/entitle :
title (v) - 当作书名，或标题。
...titled "Waging Peace on the Internet"...
title (n)- 名称，书名。
entitle - 有资格，或有权利的。
You are not entitled to use the school library.无权使用。。。
The ticket entitles you to a free seat at the concert. 这票使你有权免费听一场音乐会。
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hero -英雄，（指男性，也用于说“一大群女英雄”）
heroine - 女英雄，（指一位女性。）