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Saturday, January 12, 2013 News   |   Commentary   |   Slideshows   |   Reports   |   Videos   |   TechCenters   |   Events   |   RSS Feeds   Tom LaSusa     The controversial hacktivist group Anonymous ended 2012 as almost heroes when they launched a series of attacks on the equally controversial (if not more so) Westboro Baptist Church. Westboro is of course known for picketing military funerals in response to Westboro members' personal beliefs on gay rights. Anonymous decided that the church went too far however when Westboro leaders announced plans to protest at vigils and funerals of the Newton CT shootings. Anonymous hacked the church's various social media accounts and also posted home addresses and telephone numbers of some members. Suddenly, the hacker group was being lauded by some people for its actions -- something Anonymous members probably aren't used to hearing. A month--and new year--later Anonymous is back to being seen as the bad guy: the group petitioned the White House this week to decriminalize distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, making them a legal form of protesting. Basically, they want the First Amendment to give them the right to disrupt websites. The likelihood of this coming to fruition of course is slim. For the White House to even acknowledge to the petition, it would need 25,000 signatures by Feb. 6. So far the petition has won about 2,000. Still, that didn't stop our readers from sounding off. In response to Anonymous' contention that a DDoS is no different than an "Occupy Wall Street" protest, 'lgaryHB' replied: "An Occupy protest sits on public property outside of the established business. Were they to enter the business they are protesting, they would be violating laws on the books, not exercising free speech rights. DDoS attacks are not by definition staying on the public square, but are entering the established online business site." 'jries921' retorted: "...and setting off Molotov cocktails is covered by the right to keep and bear arms!" 'irishutopia' pondered: "An interesting spin on the idea, but wouldn't this lead to everyone throwing down random DDoS attacks in the name of protest?" Meanwhile, 'jerrynesmith' may not fully agree with Anonymous' methods, but isn't completely unsympathetic to the point: "I thought this (DDoS as Freedom of Speech) a ridiculous notion. But I thought the same of corporations having protected freedom of speech as a person and freedom of speech being spending unlimited money on political campaigns and remaining anonymous." What do you think of the Anonymous proposal? Are they justified or off base? Drop me an email and let me know. Tom LaSusa Community Manager InformationWeek.com QUOTE OF THE DAY "The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something." -- Nolan Bushnell JOIN THE CONVERSATION Posted By jasonscott: "Apple would be better off just selling more of the older models at an even lower price, thanks to cost savings due higher volume production. But a less-capable iPhone really isn't The Apple Way. Who wants a cheap-feeling plastic phone with a lousy screen and hampered capabilities?" In reply to: "8 Ways Apple Could Make A Cheaper iPhone" View Entire Response | Post Your Own Reply JUST LAUNCHED: INFORMATIONWEEK EDUCATION This week, we launched InformationWeek Education, our new website and quarterly digital magazine for technology executives and managers at colleges and universities. Rob Preston shares all the details in his inaugural column. Visit InformationWeek Education     MOST POPULAR THIS WEEK Java Under Attack Again, Disable Now Java zero-day vulnerability is under attack by at least four active campaigns. Oracle has yet to respond. Here's what to do. Samsung At CES: TVs, Tablets And Even Refrigerators Huge TVs dominated Samsung's offerings at CES, but the company also demoed cutting-edge cameras, refrigerators, and laptops. CES 2013: Windows Phone, Nokia Make Gains Nokia's strong sales of Windows Phone devices suggests that CEO Stephen Elop's turn-around plan might actually be bearing some fruit. Intel Outlines Smartphones, Ultrabooks Vision Intel unveils a variety of new chips at CES 2013 to gain ground as market shifts increasingly toward mobile devices. CES 2013: Apple Shadow Looms Large Apple isn't attending CES, but that doesn't stop reports of a larger, cheaper iPhone from stealing some of the tech show's spotlight. 5 Reasons I Want An Ubuntu Phone Love your carrier --and your huge monthly bill? Then read no further. But if you'd jump at a better deal, Ubuntu might just fit the bill. Anonymous Says DDoS Attacks Like Free Speech Hacktivist collective Anonymous petitions the White House to make DDoS attacks part of First Amendment protections. Shutdown attacks are akin to Occupy protests, group argues. 8 Ways Apple Could Make A Cheaper iPhone To build an iPhone that's affordable in emerging markets, Apple will have to cut some corners or rethink the iPhone entirely. We break down some options. MORE NEWS   EYE CANDY: IMAGE GALLERIES CES 2013: 9 Cool Gadgets Consumer Electronics Show is a tech smorgasbord. Here are nine products that attest to the show's overwhelming variety.  View Now ALSO SEE • 10 Mobile Health Apps From Uncle Sam • 8 Key Changes In Microsoft SharePoint 2013 MORE SLIDESHOWS   RESOURCES AND EVENTS 2013 InformationWeek 500: Nominations Now Accepted Nominate your company for the 2013 InformationWeek 500 -- our 25th annual ranking of the country's most innovative users of business technology. Organizations with $250 million or more in revenue may pre-register now to receive more information. Deadline is April 12   This e-mail was sent to sojo.blo@gmail.com InformationWeek: The Week In Review -- Published By InformationWeek 600 Community Drive Manhasset, NY 11030 To update your profile, change your e-mail address, or unsubscribe, click here. Thoughts about this newsletter? Give us feedback. Keep This Newsletter Out Of Your SPAM Folder Don't let future editions of InformationWeek: The Week In Review go missing. 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