Scientology vs. angry web trolls

October 13, 2009 By

image-ScientologyAnonymous_LH_021108There have been many stories about the ongoing battle between Scientology and a loose-knit, Internet-based gang of anti-Scientology anarchists known as Anonymous.

Now, Wired magazine contributing editor Julian Dibbell provides a fascinating look at what may be a new form of cyber-activism in “The Assclown Offensive: How to Enrage the Church of Scientology.” If only he had provided some kind of moral framework for assessing Anonymous’s disturbing and fascinating antics.

Most religion beat veterans have their own horror stories about covering Scientology. I know I do. The organization’s public relations representatives have given brave new meanings to terms like “image control.” But they haven’t been able to control Anonymous, which started causing trouble after the organization removed pirated Tom Cruise videos and other closely guarded Scientology materials from the web. Here Dibbell describes one of the Anonymous’s video manifestoes:

“Hello, leaders of Scientology. We are Anonymous,” the clip began in a robotic, software-generated voice-over accompanied by stock footage of clouds rolling over desolate cityscapes. “Your campaigns of misinformation, your suppression of dissent, your litigious nature: All of these things have caught our eye,” the voice explained. “For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind–and for our own enjoymen–we shall proceed to expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form.”

Some of the network’s members had specific gripes against Scientology, but some simply wanted to raise hell by “trolling”:

To troll is to post deliberately incendiary content to a discussion forum or other online community–say, kitten-torture fantasies on a message board for cat lovers–for no other reason than to stir up chaos and outrage.

Dibbell also reveals a new, digital era public relations commandment of: “Don’t Feed the Trolls.” By responding to the attacks with old-media tactics (working with law enforcement, doing negative publicity, or responding in any manner) Scientology not only further enraged and inspired its foes, it inadvertently gave them more of what they truly sought: attention.

If Martin Luther had adopted some of the anti-Scientologists’ tactics, he wouldn’t have needed to post his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg’s church. He wouldn’t have needed to deal with theology or concepts of any kind. Instead, he could have covered himself in Vaseline and pubic hair and run amok in the Wittenberg sanctuary (an Internet-based group called Operation Slickpubes did that a New York City Scientology office).

Dibbell maintains an objective perspective throughout his lengthy story. And that’s part of what’s so chilling about it. His article recounts various troll tactics, which one activist described as “motherf**ckery.” I just wish he’d found room for a word or two of judgment. Regardless of what you think of Scientology, the nasty tactics of Anonymous and other online activists are chilling and worrisome for people of any faith–or no faith.

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Filed Under: Journalism, Pop Culture, Religion, Social Issues, Web/Tech
  • dave

    Amen.

  • http://xenu.net AnonymousNow

    Dibbell gives only lip service to the moral elements of anonymous before completely ignoring those elements and distilling Anonymous to merely a collective of trolls.

    Even more telling, Dribbell completely ignores the true reason why this movement has legs– because it is premised on the truth that the COS is a pyramid scheme and a cult that seeks to imprison and bankrupt its members. Truth and justice are the driving forces at play, as Dibbell tells his customers otherwise.

    For example, in June and August, the St. Petersburg Times released a series of stories documenting that the COS is run like goodfellows, with regular beatings of staff members. Bizarre, vicious, wanton and surreal sorts of beat downs. The articles are availabe online, google “the truth rundown”. Thus, Dibbell inexorably is aware of them. Yet, in his attempt to sell his customers his position that anonymous = trolls, he doesn’t tell you about that, or the countless similar news accounts. Those truthful accounts don’t comport with his story line, so he plays hide the ball.

    I’m going to guess that it’s not all about hiding the ball, it’s also about cowardice. Dibbell has his boss whispering in his ear, “don’t piss of the scientologists.” However, by writing out of cowardice, he has also mislead his readers in material fashion.

    Investigative journalism is dead. We don’t learn about anything these days from journalists until the subject implodes and destroys countless lives.

  • xenu

    Cult apologists.

  • Steve

    Anonymous are gutless, as all terrorists are. Instead of backing up their accusations with facts, they quote nonsense they have read on the web. The St. Peter’s Time’s story was not substantiated with any evidence….because the stuff is nonsense! Anonymous states that there main focus is to cause chaos……what kind of goal is that to strive for? There are so many targets out there guys! How about the mandatory vaccination coming to a town near you….isn’t that a little more disturbing than a controversial religion?

    Make up your own mind with regards to Scientology…..don’t let anybody decide for you.

  • Jenny

    I’ve read this article and I seen comments made on the post. To me it seems like a virtual game for troll’s aka Anonymous, like a live World of Warcraft or something. People setting behind a computer with bowls of cereal and empty pizza boxes trolling post about Scientology related post.

    Who really cares at the end of the day? Most people look at Anonymous as funny or crazy students and hippies who are entertainment. Sort of a circus show with painted faces and mask that yells, taunts, laughs, and dances, just like circus clowns. We all look because it is entertaining in a strange way but no one takes them serious at all. It’s just entertaining and that is all.

    I don’t personally consider them revolutionist nor do I consider them similar to the KKK. To me they are more like circus clowns who need attention to stay alive but with a gamer attitude.

    So imagine a clown with a bright red nose who has old makeup on setting in a dark room in front of a computer and a game controller. It’s creepy as hell but all the more a troll aka Anonymous.

  • http://www.perpetuaofcarthage.blogspot.com Perpetua

    Hi Steve,

    I think AnonymousNow and xenu have a point. The article presents Anonymous as nothing but attention seeking trolls who happened to latch on to Scientology. I would have liked to learn what is objectionable about Scientology. It was my understanding that there is a group of former members of Scientology that are participants with Anonymous. Is that true? The reporter seems to have concluded this but doesn’t provide the research. Are Scientologists so litigious that Salon would be afraid to address this?

  • Jana

    Anonymous is not a group of bloodthirsty trolls. It’s not even a *group*. And in any collective, there are people who act like jerks, while hopefully the majority doesn’t. The internet has allowed for people of very different minds and walks of life to come together in opposition to Scientology. Where else do you see gay activists shoulder to shoulder with the American Family Association?

    German officials have called Scientology a ‘threat to democracy.’ They should know. The church is also on trial for fraud in France. Again. What are we doing about it? Heck, the IRS gave Scientology a sweet secret deal in 1993.
    It’s no wonder people are outraged.

    When our elected officials don’t do their jobs and do not respond to a threat such as this, get ready for people to respond in offensive ways, such as the vaseline and pube guy. Anonymous keeps its collective face covered as a statement about Scientology’s written policy of attempting to destroy those who speak out against its abuses of people and the law.

    Didn’t our forefathers do just the same in that ‘tea party’ thing?

  • http://rub-a-dub.blogspot.com MattK

    “I just wish she’d found room for a word or two of judgment.”

    So not the place of a reporter.

  • Jana

    Additionally, do not hope for an investigative journalist to judge. The Wired writer was doing her job.

  • http://kingslynn.blogspot.com C. Wingate

    Maybe everyone else missed it, but it seemed to me that on the third (web) page of the article the author did step up to the morality aspect, passing over the cruelty of the trolling as though there didn’t need to be any discussion of the matter, because it was self-evident that the emotional payoff of trolling was reprehensible through the methods by which it is obtained.

  • http://www.religionnewsblog.com/ Anton

    Anonymous has done what many reporters, counselors, cult experts (secular and Christian), and other interested parties should have done all along, or wished they could have done — but often did not do for fear of Scientology’s unethical behavior (inspired by L. Ron Hubbard’s own writings).

    Sure, Anonymous doesn’t quite play by rules others feel bound by. But take a look at whyweprotest.net and the sites linked to from there and you find a wealth of well-researched, well-reasoned, and well-documented material that should make any investigative reporter drool with envy (let alone chomping at the bit to subject the deservedly controversial organization to some additional in-depth reporting.)

  • David Mudkips

    Hi. The scientology organization has counted me among their followers for over 35 years, during several of which I worked for them. For years I’ve been inactive, alienated by horrible things I saw going on inside their… corporation. Lately, I’ve been able to speak out and act against the wrongs I saw, due to the safety in numbers that Anonymous provides, and the anonymity that they insist on.

    I am a 50-something professional, with wife and kids, and I am proud to be a member of Anonymous. Quite a few others are like me. You should become more informed on this topic.

  • http://goodintentionsbook.com Bob Smietana

    It’s very hard to cover anonymous because they are – well, anonymous. No way to confirm who they are, and at our paper, that means no quoting them.

  • Anonxmous

    ‘chilling nasty tactics’? Ooooh, don’t you get all judgy at the end there.

    Funny thing is, the clown thing upthread is about right. We don’t care if you laugh with us, laugh at us, or get trolled by us – it’s entirely up to you – but by your last sentence it’s apparent YHBT!
    Finally, the irony is, you acknowledge that Anonymous might actually be achieving something necessary that others, including yourself, have failed to do – namely, point and keep a spotlight on the abuses of Scientology. You’re funny.

    “Don’t Feed the Trolls” – too late, nom nom nom

  • AnonLover

    The Anonymous movement against the cult of scientology is merely the embodiment of the cult reaping what they have sown for the past 50 years. The rampant abuses revealed by the St Petersburg Times earlier this year (See TruthRundown.org) make it hard to dispute that the actions taken by the so-called “angry web trolls” were well warranted.

    “Give, and it shall be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For whatever measure you deal out, it will be dealt to you in return” (Luke 6:38).

    Scientology teaches that non-believers are “wogs” and essentially stresses bigotry against the majority human race while enforcing suppression of free speech and the violation of other basic human rights against its own members. That’s makes their so-called creed a complete lie, while the lack of empiracally testing & disclosure of sources the use of the word “science” on the cover the Dianetics bible a lie. Add in that they also take a negativity view on chairity and mandate persecution of their critics – the act of calling themselves a “religion” is likewise a complete lie.

    Evil cult is evil, and when the uncheck evil reaches the point that it inspires the lower unsavorable dredges of internet culture to rally forth to expose the truth, that act in and of itself underscores the fact that who better bring attention to situation than those whom also happen to be attention whores themselves?

  • Stayjit

    I do not consider myself a troll,an anarchist,certainly not a cyber-terrorist,and I would be a poor excuse of a hacker.After discovering this ‘anonymous’ thing, I gave fair hearing to the other side; and the more I see of scientology, the more I agree with Anonymous.It amazes me that this corporation with the flimsiest of religion has been under the radar for as long as it has.

  • Marc Abian

    In may 1991 TIME magazine put Scientology on its front cover, with the headline

    “Scientology : The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power”

    This was an in-depth investigation into the abuses that are systemic to Scientology, detailing ruined lives, lost fortunes, and federal crimes. Among the abuses are

    - Separating people from their life savings with hard sell tactics

    - Discouraging members from seeking proper medical attention, especially for psychological or psychiatric illnesses

    - Breaking up families

    - Intimidating ex-members and critics with private investigators and frivolous lawsuits

    How did Scientology defend itself against these allegations? It went on a vindictive offensive, suing TIME magazine for $415 Million! Scientology eventually had to drop the lawsuit, unable to prove that anything in the article was untrue. The abusive use of the law however was quite effective in shutting down almost all public criticism of Scientology in the mainstream media. Few newspapers or TV stations wanted to risk being sued, so they just stopped reporting the abuses.

    For almost 15 years, Scientology had effectively succeeded in censoring public information about the abuses it commits by using the threat of lawsuits (not to mention private investigators and other strong-arm tactics). But try as they might they could not censor the information from the internet.

    In early 2008, Scientology used its usual strong-arm tactics to try and censor the now famous video of Tom Cruise waxing fanatically about how Scientology are the only ones that can help at a traffic accident and about the scary “SP”. This attempt at censorship resulted in drawing even more attention to itself, especially by a group of internet users who are ferocious advocates of free speech, calling themselves “Anonymous”. All the information about the nefarious nature of Scientology, freely available on the internet, led to a whole new generation becoming aware of the criminal nature of the organization. Moral outrage boiled over and came to be expressed through ridicule, both online and in the streets. not mind you ridicule of people’s right to believe what they like, but ridicule of the leaders of Scientology who rule the membership with an iron fist, promising them eternal salvation while taking their life savings, and for those with no money left to give, taking their labor at slave wages.

    Scientology wants desperately to paint these activists for justice, over 9000 of them, as terrorists, so as to draw the debate away from the abuses committed. Yet after 21 monthly protests around the world by thousands of people, the only incident they can point to is one childish prank. On the other hand there have been a number of arrests of Scientologists for assaulting protesters, and dozens of videotaped incidents of Scientologists attacking protesters, threatening them, following them to their cars, sending them threatening letters to their homes, sending private investigators to their homes, constantly photographing them. All for exercising their right to free speech in order to gently nudge the media into once again shining a spotlight onto the abuses committed.

  • imominous

    I don’t understand why this writer finds Anonymous “chilling.”
    In under two years, Project Chanology (a subsidiary of Anonymous) has brought attention to the myriad criminal acts, human rights abuses, fraud and medical malpractice of the Scientology organization.

    The organization was recently convicted of fraud and practicing medicine in France. When the sentence is passed this month, the Scientology franchise in Paris could be dismantled.

    Amnesty International is investigating human trafficking and human rights abuses of Scientology.

    Our website has become the premiere site for those seeking information about this so-called church.

    Ask a Scientologist what Scientology is, you’ll get a bunch of meaningless jibberjabber. We try to offer people the big side of the story Scientology won’t tell you about. This organization has ruined the lives of thousands in its 50 year history. There are more ex-Scientologists than practicing members, and some of them are speaking out. They are able to do that in part due to the support of Anonymous.

    That’s a pretty weird thing for “terrorists” to do, isn’t it? And it’s funny how the accusations of terrorism come from a totalitarian cult that would like nothing more than to shut us up. We wear masks because, if Scientology managed to identify us, they would indulge in terroristic tactics to intimidate and destroy our jobs, our friends, our families.

    So, if you’re a Mafia-like MLM scam masquerading as a church, if you indulge in separating trusting followers from their money, if you cause families to break up, if you work people long hours without compensating them, yeah. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    If you’re a real church, with the charitable acts, the guidance for seekers, help for the troubled, you

  • http://www.getreligion.org Mollie

    The St. Petersburg Times series on the Church of Scientology is an example of excellent religion reporting. I reviewed it here.

  • Mokie

    ~Bahaha, so innocent to the ways of the world wide web~

    Get offendeded? Poor didums :’(

    “Harden the f*ck up!” – Chopper Reid

  • stoo

    Ok guys if you now get swarmed with /b/tards, remember you only brought it upon yourselves.

  • Anonymous

    folks, Yes, Anonymous tactics are unconventional BUT! The reason we are so successful is simple, CO$ has discovered what conventional armies always knew, you can’t fight conventionally against an opponent who is a shadow. They can’t sue us, arrest us or intimadate us, because we do not allow ourselves to be outted by them. They attack us, we post the video so everyone can see it. We are not afraid of them, we do not fear them. We exist in a place where they hold no power. And hence, they try to paint us as terrorists. We are not, we are people who have grown sick and tired of powerful organziations like the church using their money to silence anyone critical of them. If they want to believe in aliens, go ahead but when you try and remove anything that shows your fail by force, then we take issue.

  • bob dobbs

    Scientology sends out it’s Office of Special Affairs agents
    to patrol and troll the Internet, some of them have already commented above, but noone else is allowed to?

  • Mary McConnell

    While there are a few stupid people doing stupid things under the name Anonymous, the multitude of people who are a part of the Anonymous movement are average citizens who are protesting scientology under the veil of anonmity for good reason. They do this because of Scientology’s human rights abuses and it’s oppressive Fair Game policies of destroying by any means anyone who would dare to speak out against the organization.

    Anonymous as a collective does not condone illegal acts but, since is is a leaderless collective of nameless people, a few have taken it upon themselves to do foolish things which violate the very ideals Anonymous is fighting against Scientology for violating. For all we know, it’s possible that the few idiots who did those things and got caught could very well have been sent in by scientology to cause disrepute. As long as Scientology does not know the identities of citizens participating in the aims of the Anonymous vs Scientology, it cannot control them.

    Anonymous a brilliant concept put into action to rob this cult of it’s totalitarian like reach. It is the mouse that the big bad cat cannot catch. Most media know exactly what scientology is and they don’t shoot the messenger getting the message out there, especially if someone else is doing it, lol. There is no use in trying to persuade you because you have your agenda set before you began the article. Nevertheless, readers need to have the facts when propaganda
    is presented as ‘news’.

  • Shawn’s friend

    Hey Steve
    Have you checked out OT VIII Mary Jo Leavitt’s latest post?
    http://markrathbun.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/new-ot-viii-mary-jo-leavitt-blows-the-whistle/

  • http://kingslynn.blogspot.com C. Wingate

    I should have mentioned this the first time around, but the first related link under the story is for news of Wikipedia’s ban of COS sites and specific members from editing Scientology-related articles.

  • Yeah right

    Actually $cientology is a dangerous cult. You’ll see members of Anonymous and those who protest with them aren’t opposed to O Religion. Just using it to bastardize the law and deliberately ruin peoples lives in the name of religion FOR PROFIT.

    Wired, you fail at life.

  • Steve’s a F@G

    Steve or “Poster #4″ is a $cientology PR troll who goes around to all websites and cries like a baby. The St. Petersberg Times articles are backed up by a good amount of evidence and testimony of ex members. Of course they don’t want you to know this, it effects their bottom line. Which is “Make money, make more money, make OTHER PEOPLE produce as to make more money.” L Ron Hubbard, Founder of the CULT Of $cientology.

  • http://areformedcatholicinthepcusa.blogspot.com Reformed Catholic

    I think the best comment on Scientology and Dianetics was made by Isaac Asimov when asked by L. Ron Hubbard and John W. Campbell to read and review.

    I paraphrase Asimov’s comment:

    “what a piece of junk”.

  • http://areformedcatholicinthepcusa.blogspot.com Reformed Catholic

    What he actually did was point out the unscientific aspects of the idea, but the ‘piece of junk’ paraphrase comes from his comments on Dianetics in one of his autobiographies.

  • Mike

    Hey Steve,
    What are the protesters giving out that is not proven fact? If you will not take legal documents and statements from ex-scientologists as fact, then fact does not exist. and to what you said here “Make up your own mind with regards to Scientology…..don’t let anybody decide for you.” that is what they tell the people, they don’t want to change anyone’s opinion. they want the people to create their own opinion.

    – Mike

  • wantmyownreligion

    This is a cult based on no belief in anything spiritual, just science fiction. I may have evolved from a fish, but certainly was not a product of some alien space ship crap. It was a good story, but so was War and Peace. These people need to either pay taxes or disolve this atrocity called scientology. Only a really lame, weak person, in need of control, because they have none, could join these cultists. This is no religion…It is a freakin story book based on nothing but the ramblings of a twisted mind. If this is all it takes, “Huckleberry Finn” should be a religion soon!!!