A bad idea
Posted on:: August 31st, 2004
Here’s a site that’s trying to “use up” the Republican’s virtual space by reloading “several Republican websites” automatically every 60 seconds. See, if we all leave the protest page up in our browser, we’ll show them Republican bastards … well, I’m really not sure what we’ll show them.
I’m confused enough about this that I am only reluctantly posting the protest page’s url: http://users.drew.edu/clotito/protest_rnc.htm. Maybe you can explain to me if this page is:
1. A sincere but misguided attempt to make a point no one understands through a protest that no one will notice
2. A devious attempt to drive up the hit count on several Republican websites
3. Retarded terrorism
Categories: Uncategorized dw
I seriously lack any inclination to listen to, or look at, anything remotely associated with Republicans, or their Party. I’m dumb enough as it is.
I’m willing to be that the person thinks that this is really going to irk the Republicans. It probably gives the “creator” a sense that they are doing their part to fight The Man ™.
I guess I’m voting for option A, but with the understanding that this person has NO idea that it’s not going to bother the GOP.
People, in my some what limited experience, tend to think that something that would upset a member of their social community is potent enough to upset anyone. The creator of this little bit of revolution would be incensed if their web page was unreachable due to something like this, so they assume it to be just as irritating to the much-hated Republicans.
It’s called “slacktivism”.
The concept is to overload their bandwidth and/or server.
But a well-engineered server will stand up to the numbers of people who “ordinarily” will participate.
At best, they’ll cost the target a few bucks in bandwidth, I doubt it’d be more than $100 or so.
“Serious” denial-of-service attacks can do real damage, though. Just like “serious” mobs.
I actually created the page and was wondering where all it’s hits were coming from… thus my decision to search Gogle for linking pages.
All other comments aside, the Republicans actually did report my site to my school’s sysadmin which forced me to halt the protest. I feel that just by getting their attention at all, as well as helping many people who couldn’t get into the city feel as though they were doing something I have actually achieved a small but not entirely inneffectual end. Additionally, please note that I and other participants were sure to send press releases about the site to our Reps. and local papers using the GOP’s own “Get Active” webtool.