The best conspiracy fantasy yet...

[Jontg]

Apparently, everybody's favorite hackers on steroids are actually part of a diabolical NSA experiment that sounds suspiciously like the plot of Metal Gear Solid 2. I suppose when the two craziest groups on Earth declare web-based PR war on each other, it's only a matter of time before somebody even crazier turns up--but come on! (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread336919/pg1)
EDIT: A few of my favorite picks:
For a forum of tinfoil-hat lunatics, they seem to have trouble spotting real plants. (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/single/4045267.html)
The first true whacko arrives... (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/single/4045432.html)
And becomes progressively unhinged... (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/single/4046215.html)
Until a poorly-judged troll sends him over the edge completely. (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/single/4046256.html)

[deep]

Apparently, everybody's favorite hackers on steroids are actually part of a diabolical NSA experiment that sounds suspiciously like the plot of Metal Gear Solid 2. I suppose when the two craziest groups on Earth declare web-based PR war on each other, it's only a matter of time before somebody even crazier turns up--but come on! (http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread336919/pg1)


What is it about this story that makes it so laughably implausible (not counting the tone or content of the responses)? Don't get me wrong, I have no idea if it's fact or fiction.. but I don't think it sounds completely unreasonable.

We know that the NSA has been actively gathering domestic intelligence for quite some time - they monitor emails, Internet searches, bank transactions, credit-card transactions, telephone records, etc. That is almost an unfathomable amount of information, so they obviously rely pretty heavily on data-mining.

Now if I'm understanding the original message correctly, the author is purporting that the NSA initially created the group "Anonymous" for the express purpose of attracting the attention of "individuals of interest". That would then give them a place to start in their data-mining activities, ultimately allowing them to track the behavior of those individuals of interest they've attracted.

(shrug) I don't see what's so far fetched about that. Once again, I'm not saying that I unconditionally accept it as fact.. I'm just curious why you believe it's so absurd.

[ronpaulisright]

u5a8zXaKapc

[Rika]

... no, there's no way Anon is created by the NSA. You'd only think that if you knew nothing about 4chan, 7chan, iichan and the phenomena.

[Jontg]

Exactly. Simulating an emergence of this magnitude would be an undertaking on par with creating life--because in essence, that's exactly what this is. It's sort of appropriate that I made the MGS2 comparison there, because you could think of Anonymous itself as sort of like the Patriots; a kind of deranged collective consciousness. Only this one is too stupid to actually be [EDITED FOR SPOILERS].

[Cl1mh4224rd]

Uhhh... As far as I can tell, Anonymous is not a group of hackers. Where'd that idea come from?

[TheDaver]

Some Anonymouses are smart enough to be hackers. On the whole, I think the group’s weakness is more along the lines of attention span.

To quote Anonymous himself:
“We are anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forg- oooh, shiny!”

[Jontg]

But it has to be true--everybody's favorite news outlet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNO6G4ApJQY) said so!

[Emerson Street]

The NSA clearly did this for the lulz!!!one