Hackers Anonymous by A.H. Wetherington

Hackers Anonymous, A.H. Wethering. city not found: Paper Lake Press, 2012. e-book, 43 pps.

This short story addresses what happens within a community when someone is cajoled into working for the perceived enemy. I've seen this happen. 

There is a certain former member of the hacktivist collective Anonymous who now is hiding under the 'ninja' umbrella on one social media site. I love ninjem and I love Anonymous but I don't love him.

This certain fake ninja plea-bargained his way into becoming a turncoat. I clearly remember him on the channels trying really hard to get people to incriminate themselves. Note to Feds: Please instruct your informants in the art of being not so frigging obvious. Supposedly, the man is currently in San Francisco making a living as a sort of painter of pictures-- I think he calls himself a street artist now-- and whatever else he does to hustle for a living I don't really know. The ego-fag in him attracted a certain amount of ill-gotten 'fame.' The Feds perceived of him as a sort of leader of Anonymous. He was willing to be a self-set up spokesperson which in itself is bullshit. And so he got sucked into the machination of social justice and is now working for the enemy.

There are other Anons who refuse to become snitches. For them I have the utmost respect. Contributing to their legal defense funds is one way to let them know that we appreciate their integrity. Writing to them in prisons and publicizing their plight are two other ways of letting them know that they are certainly not forgotten. Because they are not forgotten.

The short story primarily tells a tale of a teen hacker who is quite good at what she does and her parents who don't truly understand her. Dad is a detective in the local police agency. He wants to spend time together as a family. Mom wants teen to enlarge her social circle from two best friends to being a sort of social butterfly.

By and large, that sort of wish is frustrated by the hackers and aspies among us. Technology is for playing with in order to improve both the security and the product. I still remember the olden days when one could call up a company and point out their security flaws. But nowadays, all hackers have become vilified. There is no longer a distinction made by organizations or by law enforcement between hacking as a form of social protest and pen-testing a site without having been asked to versus the loose mafioso-like shadow
companies that are in the business to rip people off.

sapphoq reviews says: A.H. Wetherington has written a short story which is suitable for teens. It was okay. I'm not sure that the message it intended to portray [according to the advertisement blurbs] is the one that teens will get from reading this story. Mom and Dad seem a bit too typical-fifties for my taste. I liked the main character but not the dialogue. Neither recommended nor un-recommended.