The Real Role Of Anonymous In Occupy Wall Street

from http://www.fastcompany.com/1788397/the-real-role-of-anonymous-at-occupy-wall-street

"Anonymous has caught the attention of the media--and even Homeland Security--with its biggest contribution to Occupy Wall Street: hype. But, so far, the amorphous, leaderless hacktivist movement has disappointed anyone expecting full-on revolution from a Guy Fawkes-masked army or a massive cyber attack.

Anonymous does, however, have prominent members and often unites a large number of sympathizers. The gap between expectations and reality when it comes to Occupy Wall Street results from the disconnect between those dominant members and fringe elements who hit up the costume shop and start posting YouTube videos.

The story of how Anonymous and Occupy Wall Street intertwine dates back to February 2010, to the birth of "The 99 Percent Movement."

The notion of "the 99 percent" most likely started with journalist David DeGraw in his 2010 book, The Economic Elite vs. The People of the United States. "The harsh truth is that 99% of the US population no longer has political representation," DeGraw writes. As a follow-up, he formed the 99 Percent Movement, a social network soliciting ideas for a platform of economic and legal reform."