#changethesystem

[slyapartment]

[internet-siren]

Hacktivism: Digital Rebellion for a New Age 🌐💥

In an era where our lives are intertwined with the digital landscape, the concept of hacktivism has become more than just a buzzword. It’s the fusion of hacking and activism—where people use their coding and cyber skills to disrupt power structures, challenge injustice, and amplify voices that often go unheard. It's a rebellion born from the belief that access to information, privacy, and freedom are rights, not privileges. But how did this digital resistance movement come to be, and how can you get involved? Let’s dive into it. 💻⚡️

What Exactly Is Hacktivism? 🤖✨

At its core, hacktivism is activism with a digital twist. It’s about using technology and hacking tools to advance social, political, and environmental causes. The most common methods include:

DDoS Attacks (Distributed Denial of Service): Overloading a target’s website with too much traffic, essentially crashing it, to temporarily shut down an online service.

Website Defacement: Replacing a website’s homepage with a political message, often exposing corruption or unethical practices.

Data Leaks: Exposing hidden documents or sensitive information that reveal corporate or governmental wrongdoing.

Bypassing Censorship: Circumventing firewalls or government restrictions to make sure information reaches the people it needs to.

The idea is simple: when a government or corporation controls the narrative or hides the truth, hacktivists take it into their own hands to expose it. 🌍💡

Why Is Hacktivism Important? 🔥

In a world dominated by corporations and powerful governments, hacktivism represents a form of resistance that’s accessible. It’s about leveling the playing field, giving people—especially those who lack resources—an avenue to protest, to expose corruption, and to disrupt systems that perpetuate inequality. The digital world is where much of our lives now happen, and hacktivism uses the very systems that oppress us to fight back.

Think about WikiLeaks leaking documents that exposed global surveillance and the activities of intelligence agencies. Or how Anonymous has played a pivotal role in advocating for free speech, standing up against internet censorship, and exposing corrupt governments and corporations. These are the digital warriors fighting for a cause, using nothing but code and their knowledge of the web.

Hacktivism is a direct response to modern issues like surveillance, censorship, and misinformation. It's a way to shift power back to the people, to give voice to the voiceless, and to challenge oppressive systems that don’t always play by the rules.

The Ethical Dilemma 🤔💭

Let’s be real: hacktivism doesn’t come without its ethical dilemmas. While the intentions are often noble, the methods used—hacking into private systems, defacing websites, leaking sensitive info—can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. The line between activism and cybercrime is thin, and depending on where you live, you might face serious legal repercussions for participating in hacktivist activities.

It’s important to consider the ethics behind the actions. Are you defending the free flow of information? Or are you inadvertently causing harm to innocent bystanders? Are the people you’re exposing truly deserving of scrutiny, or are you just participating in chaos for the sake of it?

So if you’re thinking of getting involved, it’s crucial to ask yourself: What am I fighting for? And is the harm done justified by the greater good?

How to Get Started 💻💡

So, you’re interested in getting involved? Here’s a starting point to help you use your tech skills for good:

Learn the Basics of Hacking 🔐: Before diving into the world of hacktivism, you'll need to understand the tools of the trade. Start with the basics: programming languages like Python, HTML, and JavaScript are good foundational skills. Learn how networks work and how to exploit vulnerabilities in websites and servers. There are plenty of free online resources like Codecademy, Hack This Site, and OverTheWire to help you get started.

Understand the Ethical Implications ⚖️: Hacktivism is, above all, about fighting for justice and transparency. But it’s crucial to think through your actions. What’s the bigger picture? What are you trying to achieve? Keep up with the latest issues surrounding privacy, data rights, and digital freedom. Some online groups like The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) provide great resources on the ethics of hacking and digital activism.

Join Communities 🕸️: Being part of a like-minded group can give you support and insight. Online communities, like those on Reddit, Discord, or specific forums like 4chan (if you're cautious of the chaos), can help you learn more about hacktivism. Anonymous has also had an iconic role in digital activism and can be a place where people learn to organize for change.

Stay Informed 🌐: To be effective as a hacktivist, you need to be in the know. Follow independent news sources, activist blogs, and websites that report on global surveillance, corporate corruption, and governmental abuse of power. Hacktivism often reacts to injustices that would otherwise go unnoticed—being informed helps you take action when necessary.

Respect the Digital Space 🌱: While hacktivism can be used to disrupt, it’s important to respect the privacy and safety of ordinary people. Try to avoid unnecessary damage to private citizens, and focus on the systems that need disrupting. The internet is a tool that should be used to liberate, not to destroy without purpose.

Never Forget the Human Side ❤️: As with all activism, the heart of hacktivism is about making a difference in real people’s lives. Whether it's freeing information that has been hidden, protecting human rights, or challenging unjust power structures—always remember that at the end of the code, there are humans behind the cause.

Final Thoughts 💬

Hacktivism is a powerful, transformative form of resistance. It’s not always about flashy headlines or viral attacks—often, it’s the quiet work of exposing truths and giving people a voice in a world that tries to keep them silent. It’s messy, it’s complex, and it’s not for everyone. But if you’re interested in hacking for a purpose greater than yourself, learning the craft with the intention to fight for a better, more just world is something that can actually make a difference.

Remember: With great code comes great responsibility. ✊🌐💻

[gogreenordie]

This Started Out About College Applications but Turned Into A Rant About Top 20 Universities like the Ivies and Classism; I'm Sorry

I have beef with the way college applications are done right now. You're telling me that I have to send you my standardized test scores (for a test that was taken during a global pandemic), PAY for those to be sent to you (even though this is being done online and could be done through email for free), write multiple essays, pay YOU [the university] to send you my application, all for me to either:

a) be rejected and waste money from application/score send fees and time I spent writing essays for you

or

b) be accepted and pay you another 100 grand, which I cannot afford, and which you will not help me with, all for an education that I could get online for free, but which would be useless without a degree since our society puts more merit into the actual paper* and proof of "good education" than the actual education??

*AND THIS INCLUDES HOW PISSED I AM THAT IVY LEAGUE DEGREES OR DEGREES FROM A TOP 10 SCHOOL HELP YOU GET A JOB MORE THAN NON-IVIES. For the record, the whole "omfg an ivy is the best" is rooted in classism. Just because a person went to an ivy league school doesn't mean they are smarter!! Just because a person could afford to pay for that sort of education does not mean they are superior to someone who could not afford it and therefore did not go to that sort of college.

And just so I am not misconstrued on here bc Ik y'all LOVEEEE to do that: I am not saying that Ivy League schools are bad schools. They have incredible programs and leading experts/world-class professors teaching, along with a plethora of resources that other schools do not, which does give an Ivy League student an "edge" in their education that other college students may not have.

BUT I would like to point out how SHITTY IT IS that legacy-students or people who can afford 80, 000 a year tuition are given that edge through an Ivy League education. An education that other students (namely those of a lower socioeconomic class) cannot access because of their class status which just perpetuates poverty cycles. So, yes, Ivy League students may have an "edge," but this is only because they had the family (legacy status) or the money that they can access those resources. An Ivy League education does not mean that one is "smarter" than those who do not have it. They are most likely just richer.

And before you all say "what about financial aid?? what about need-blind admission policies?? people of lower socioeconomic status should access education through that!!"

First of all, did you know that you are LESS LIKELY to be accepted to a university (this includes all the T20 schools, UChicago, NYU, the Ivies, all those) if you indicate that your family requires financial assistance? Need-blind is a joke.

According to a study done by Opportunity Insights, a group of economists at Harvard (yes, they can recognize their place in a system and still perpetuate it), Ivy-Leagues "favor the children of the ultra-wealthy," AND "the study also shows that academically high-performing students from middle-income families are among the least likely to gain admission to one these elite colleges."

About 40% of students from the wealthiest families who scored at the 99th percentile on the SAT or ACT class attend an Ivy-plus college, according to that study. If you score 99th percentile as a student from the poorest families in the United States, that number is cut in HALF at 20%.

"So are you saying that the wealthy student shouldn't be given admission?? Their scores are in the 99th percentile???" Not what I am saying. I'm pointing out that students from the poorest families are less likely to gain admission simply because they are poor. You want to know what I'm saying?? Colleges should also be admitting those students who scored high who are from the working class. I'm saying colleges should not let wealth dictate admission.

Combine that with the recent court-case where top 20 colleges ADMITTED that they were trying to pay the least bit possible for students of lower socioeconomic class?? The court-case where colleges settled, bc it was revealed that top 20s are less likely to admit students who required financial aid?? Where at least 17 UNIVERSITIES used a shared methodology to find financial need in a way that "reduces institutional dollars to students from working- and middle-class families." (my emphasis). Where at least 17 universities "consider students’ ability to pay and favor the wealthy."

No wonder these schools are chock full of classism. These schools are more concerned with making a profit then the worldview of their students, and the kids they are admitting are in a rich kid bubble. You want to talk about why the United States--whose government are mostly made out of people who went to Top 20 schools-- is so awful to its lower classes and homeless population? This is why. The people who are eventually going to be leaders in government and business have NO IDEA what it is like to be a person in that situation, and they have never interacted with a person in that situation.

We have to change the system. Let me repeat this for you guys: WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM.

And one final thing: This is not attacking anyone who went to an Ivy League!! You went to Yale, congratulations. I am simply pointing out stuff, ok? nobody is blaming you for a broken institution.

You guys can disagree w/ me, and you can even put it in comments here, I welcome discussion, and I actually WANT this post to start discussion, but pls don't call me like a dumb bitch or wtv in the comments.

I cannot reiterate this enough, pls do not doxx me or bully me or wtv. I am literally just a girl. With college admission season and everything, I will have a breakdown if somebody even calls me a mean name.

Citations for quotes:

University of Chicago agrees to $13.5M settlement in financial aid case - The Washington Post

Ivy colleges favor rich kids for admission, while middle-class students face obstacles, study finds - CBS News

[adamsdoyle]

New painting 🌟Last Gasp Oil, 12x15″

Adam S Doyle

[angel-slimdreams]

when are we going to have a cast that's just people of colour, but it won't be about their race? i want to sit down and watch a film that literally has like one white person (or none) in it. it would be so revolutionary for film.

[kara-angel]

We need a petition for the US to change the education system-

The system is bad- Like seriously, we need to learn how to SURVIVE not useless knowledge. We should be able to CHOOSE what we learn in classes but the mandatory classes should be like, learning taxes, learning how to raise children properly, and more like that.

If we did this there would be less issues. So for the love of everything. Someone please change the United States Education system. Your dooming kids to be left out to die for no fricken reason.

[u-nmelodious]

[yachineedhealing]

ok i have just seen this picture and oh my god ... who can make an edit with Chinomiko or Beemoov strangling our Schoollifeboys with the threads there? (bc they are death and so lolol) That would be so epic! That person deserves my soul!