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ABSTRACT the Rhetorical Construction of Hacktivism ABSTRACT The Rhetorical Construction of Hacktivism: Analyzing the Anonymous Care Package Heather Suzanne Woods, M.A. Thesis Chairperson: Leslie A. Hahner, Ph.D. This thesis uncovers the ways in which Anonymous, a non-hierarchical, decentralized online collective, maintains and alters the notion of hacktivism to recruit new participants and alter public perception. I employ a critical rhetorical lens to an Anonymous-produced and –disseminated artifact, the Anonymous Care Package, a collection of digital how-to files. After situating Anonymous within the broader narrative of hacking and activism, this thesis demonstrates how the Care Package can be used to constitute a hacktivist identity. Further, by extending hacktivism from its purely technological roots to a larger audience, the Anonymous Care Package lowers the barrier for participation and invites action on behalf of would-be members. Together, the contents of the Care Package help constitute an identity for Anonymous hacktivists who are then encouraged to take action as cyberactivists. The Rhetorical Construction of Hacktivism: Analyzing the Anonymous Care Package by Heather Suzanne Woods, B.A. A Thesis Approved by the Department of Communication David W. Schlueter, Ph.D., Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee Leslie A. Hahner, Ph.D., Chairperson Martin J. Medhurst, Ph.D. James M. SoRelle, Ph.D. Accepted by the Graduate School May 2013 J. Larry Lyon, Ph.D., Dean Page bearing signatures is kept on file in the Graduate School Copyright © 2013 by Heather Suzanne Woods All rights reserved TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................. vi CHAPTER ONE .............................................................................................................................. 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 History of Anonymous ............................................................................................... 3 Justification and Research Questions ....................................................................... 10 Method ..................................................................................................................... 14 Outline of Chapters .................................................................................................. 20 CHAPTER TWO ........................................................................................................................... 25 Literature Review ............................................................................................................. 25 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 25 Characteristics of a Social Movement: a Sociological and Rhetorical Perspective . 26 The Rhetoric of Social Movements ......................................................................... 30 Rhetorical Criticism, Dissent, and the Identity Turn ............................................... 33 The Communicative Characteristics of Digital Dissent ........................................... 38 The Rise of Hacktivism ............................................................................................ 43 The Beginnings of Anonymous Scholarship ........................................................... 48 Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 50 CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................... 58 Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 58 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 58 Hacktivism as A Fluid Concept ............................................................................... 59 The Anonymous Care Package as a Generative and Instructional Text .................. 64 Branding and aesthetics: Anonymous is You! ..................................................... 67 The Mask .............................................................................................................. 68 Artwork ................................................................................................................. 75 Tools for Digital Dissent. ..................................................................................... 83 Taking It To the Streets ............................................................................................. 91 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 97 CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................... 106 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 106 Introduction ............................................................................................................. 106 Supplementing the Literature Base ......................................................................... 107 Hacktivism as A Rhetorical Tactic and Term of Art .............................................. 109 The Constitutive Rhetoric of Anonymous .............................................................. 114 Limitations and Areas for Future Research ............................................................ 117 BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................................... 124 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The Guy Fawkes Mask ................................................................................... 79 Figure 2: Business Man Assemblage ............................................................................. 88 Figure 3: Anonymous Globe/Map Logo ........................................................................ 88 v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Foremost I wish to express gratitude to my advisor and mentor Dr. Leslie Hahner. Dr. Hahner has been a supportive and inspirational figure throughout my time at Baylor University. In her role as thesis advisor, Dr. Hahner spent countless hours reviewing my work, offering equal parts critique, wisdom, and humor in her comments. I will be forever grateful for her insistence that I push myself beyond my comfort zone; her dedication to my work challenges me to become a better writer and thinker. In addition to her role as thesis chairperson, Dr. Hahner made herself available to me as a mentor, offering both guidance and motivation in coursework and professional development. I am truly appreciative for her assistance. I would also like to offer thanks to the members of my thesis committee. Beyond their assistance as committee members, both Dr. Martin J. Medhurst and Dr. James M. SoRelle have helped me grow as a scholar and a citizen. Dr. Medhurst’s instruction and guidance assisted in my acclimation to the field and the profession. I am especially grateful Dr. Medhurst was willing to entertain my unique perspective in discussion and seminar papers. Dr. SoRelle’s course on the civil rights movement was one of the most challenging and rewarding courses I’ve ever taken. It inspired me to situate my scholarship within history and to be unsatisfied with surface-level accounts of complex human phenomena. Several other individuals deserve mention for their assistance with this thesis project. Dr. Scott J. Varda routinely listened to my thesis brainstorming sessions, offering vi suggestions and additional readings. Dr. Matt Gerber reviewed several earlier versions of this thesis, and helped to cure me of my obsession with the word “inchoate.” I am blessed to have an amazing support system of friends and loved ones. My friend and colleague Caitlin Reynolds edited numerous drafts of my thesis chapters, providing sharp critical insight and also pictures of cats. Blake Hallinan routinely shuttled interesting and relevant literature my way and became a sounding board for my crazy ideas about the Internet. I am also indebted to Alex McVey for his support, patience, and sense of humor as I completed this thesis. Finally, I would like to offer a special thanks to my family for their encouragement and advice. My mother, Suzette Woods, has supported me in every single one of my endeavors, even when my dreams sent me across the globe or to Texas. She regularly lends me her strength, and I will spend the rest of my life trying to pay her back. Last, but certainly not least, I want to express appreciation to my little brother, Joshua Woods. Whether or not he knew it, Josh became a key contributor in brainstorming sessions and continues to help me understand the complex and ever- changing environment of the digital sphere. vii CHAPTER ONE Introduction As social media changes the online landscape, the Internet is becoming a political battleground, marshaling and galvanizing ever more individuals to participate in various
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