Villains versus Heroes

 In my social media class we read a few articles that discuss people who do some controversial things. They use the power of technology to take a stand. I will discuss my thoughts on each article and whether or not they are a villain or a hero.

The first group I will discuss is the Anonymous hacker group. The anonymous group is lead by many people who publicize cyber security threats. I believe this group has some good intentions, but cause many negative consequences with their protests, making them villains. If they were heroes, they would not be harassing people or stealing computer data. They do take a stand in what they think is right, however, go about it the wrong way. 

Next we have Edward Snowden. is considered a villain by most of the United States. He leaked highly classified information related to military capabilities, operations, tactics, techniques, and procedures. He called himself a "whistleblower" but the rest of the country did not see him that way. In his eyes, he had good intentions. I would consider Snowden a villain due to betraying the CIA and Government. By leaking secret information, he put people in danger. If I were in Snowden's shoes, I would have thought about how much power the government has over just one individual. Before leaking information, you must have more people backing you up. 

Third, we have Chelsea Manning. Similar to Snowden, she also leaked sensitive military and diplomatic documents. She had access to secret databases and felt the need to be a "whistleblower". I believe Manning also felt she had good intentions, but to everyone else she was disloyal to her country. Individuals with high security jobs must be trustworthy. I believe manning was not a hero or a villain. She was sentenced 35 years in prisons. Looking at both Snowden and Manning, these two both lost against the government and military. Individuals have no power or say when it comes to the Government. 

Lastly, we will look at Julian Assange. Julian Assange is the founder of Wikileaks, which is a non-profit organization that publishes new leaks and classified information. I believe Julian Assange is a villain. Wikileaks could been a good thing, if it led to positive outcomes. In Chelsea Manning's case, it caused her major problems and 35 years in prison. If I were in Julian Assange's position, I would take down the organization due to all the controversy it has caused. Taking a stand needs to be thought out carefully. Wikileaks is a place that gets people into more trouble.