Manipulating information on the web – A good form of activism?

Abigail Napp — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:59:03 +0000

As we conscientiously fashion our identities and market our livelihoods online, who will decide what information is truthful and how it should be ordered? Who will regulate the congestion and misinformation? At this point in time, “We, the people” must take that responsibility, especially the bloggers, so that we are not manipulated by the content we produce.

Yes Men pose as Dow Representative, apologizes for Bhopal

Yet, there is a positive side to manipulating information on the web. A new form of activism has evolved (check out these topics for dinner discussion “culture jamming” and “identity-correct.) The Yes Men, “a genderless, loose-knit association of some 300 impostors worldwide,” developed their own prankster techniques to expose misleading marketing campaign coverups and human rights abuses caused by the media, government, and giant corporations. Their activism capitalizes on the internet’s chaotic dimensions – launching false websites, having no physical addresses, filling the 24-hour news hole – not to mention, speed. In previous projects, the Yes Men impersonated the corporate heads of ExxonMobil and Halliburton, and even printed and distributed over 2 million copies of a utopian version of the New York Times.

The Yes Men advocate for a better world through the use of internet technology. They prove that political demonstrations can be replaced with newer forms of activism (see Bhopal project). We have more opportunities to spread the truth creatively and mobilize without the masses. For more ideas on Yes Men activism, check out their Fix The World Challenge page and watch their latest film, The Yes Men Movie.

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Manipulating information on the web – A good form of activism?