the inevitable question: to publish or not to publish?

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(the reason why part of this is highlighted is because I wrote it for something on our website and I can't get it to go away, but be assured, it is my writing)

“They had kidnapped a geek with backup — a respected member of the hackers collective known as Anonymous. … ‘You have made a great mistake by taking one of us,’ said the video’s masked figure. ‘Release him.’ … Or else, the message said, the names of government officials, taxi drivers and journalists who worked with the Zetas would be published online. The goal, they said, was the arrest of these suspected collaborators, but was there a possibility they might be killed by a rival cartel? Yes, said self-identified members of Anonymous, acknowledging the danger. Beyond that, might the hackers also be targeted?”

This article is about a group of hackers fighting against a Mexican drug cartel for kidnapping a fellow hacker. The hackers are threatening to publish a list of people involved in the cartel. No one knows how the list was obtained and it may even have been tainted by sources.

Drawing on the strong imagery and implications of a Guy Fawkes in the video, the hackers have created a YouTube video, which is how they chose to warn the drug cartel that Anonymous is gunning for them.

The hackers now face a dilemma similar to that of Wikileaks: do they publish and risk the lives of the people on the list and their own? There are many who clamor for and against the publication. The consequences of going forward may lead to murders of the cartel members, which Anonymous says is not the goal; they want the agents to be punished justly. But, if they publish and there are assassinations, are they responsible? They have aired what their intention is, are they responsible for unintended results?

This is a fabulous example of online media being used to influence life in countries beyond the US and larger European ones. Technology being used for something other than entertainment, indeed something quite grim is common enough, but this instance is more; it asks for action and appeals for recognition. A “don’t tread on me” banner as it were.

I’m working on how I feel about the situation, I feel as divided about this as I do about Wikileaks. Added to this is the general crackdown on the cartels by both American and Mexican governments, how will this list change their approach or will it shatter their advance?

-Rosie