I accidentally the whole Wikileaks. Well, some.

[reddragdiva]

• UNMANNED WIKILEAKS DRONE DESTROYS AFGHAN VILLAGE

One thing no-one seems to be showing a sign of getting their heads around: Julian Assange wrote a detailed piece in 2002 2006 on precisely what his aims are with Wikileaks. (Original PDF.)

In it, he states his aim: to increase the friction in the mechanisms by which authoritarian governments conspire against their citizens, thus changing the lay of the land and forcing them to more open communication mechanisms. Hence the release of the diplomatic cables.

It's the inchoate hacker (as in cracker) free speech ideal of the 1980s developed into a coherent and precise philosophy. Making that coherent and precise is quite an achievement in itself, really.

And reading the quite excellent Forbes article series, apparently it is partially my fault personally — hosting my anti-Scientology site helped get him really going on this path. Oh dear.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Oh Jesus. I wonder if they've tapped my phone yet.

[gool_duck]

You must be very proud.

[reddragdiva]

"Oh dear" covers it.

[skiamakhos]

I'd be grinning from ear to ear if I'd inspired a world-famous site that stands for free speech and blows the whistle on government corruption like they do. It'd be like my heroes telling me that I was their hero! I'd boggle utterly & then have a huge grin that wouldn't fade for weeks. I'd need someone to follow me around dissing me like my dad or something telling me I was crap, to stop me getting a huge head.

[reddragdiva]

I do think Wikileaks is way cool and strongly support their existence and mission. I would not apologise for causing Julian so much trouble with the Scientology stuff, because I just know that every time he saw another email from the Scientologists, he grinned a huge grin of anticipation at thinking of how precisely to phrase "fuck off" this time.

[sidhedmento]

I am doing exactly that vicariously right now. YAY FOR DIVA!

[reddragdiva]

I must admit that part of the joy of taking on the Scientologists was to successfully engage in extreme shitstirring. For a good cause.

I would be unsurprised for Mr Assange to have some slight degree of a similar urge, somewhere deep in the depths of his soul.

[heliumbreath]

Although the average Forbes reader will no doubt parse that quote as a figure of speech complimenting his courage, it dawns on the longtime follower of your adventures that it might just possibly be a more literal comment on his prowess and stamina in certain situations I'm sure I don't really want to know about.

[reddragdiva]

*splutter* Metaphorical ones.