Thehacktivist.com Website Description
When arriving at http://thehacktivist.com/, from the lack of glitz, yellow and white lettering on a plain gray background, it’s clear that this website means business.
This site has a point, and a message that far surpasses the ordinary realms of cyberspace. It's mission is displayed in as subdued a manner as the entire site:
The Hacktivist is dedicated to examining the theory and practice of hacktivism and electronic civil disobedience while contributing to the evolution of hacktivism by promoting constructive debate, effective direct action, and creative solutions to complex problems in order to facilitate positive change.
Below their mission statement, Thehacktivist.com presents editorial content in the form of “News” claiming such bold statements as “Myanmar’s Government is a sham” as well as newsier, and yet still relevant content, as “China to stifle online speech.” Tiny white links would ostensibly allow users to access more than the front page info, however, it’s merely shrinks the font and gives the user a pretty graphic.
On the upper right, pictures link to what amounts to the most colorful part of the page. Topics catered to the hacktivist, or hacktivist in training, include: “hacktivism,” “eco,” “hackers,” “censorship,” “infowar” and “security.” It’s similar to what most would consider a forum, although the forum appears in another section. There are mini Op-Ed pieces related to the topics.
On the lower right of the screen, one may click into multiple forum groups: “Do you use free software?” “Hacktivism in the media,” “What is hacktivism 2.0,” and “Virtual Sit-Ins” among others. If you make your way into any of these forums, it becomes clear that this is far more than a news/ media site. It’s a wealth of information for those dedicated to hacking for a cause. These are slightly more in-depth than the more general topics featured in “topics.”
All in all, the site is very word-heavy and very graphically sparse. Interesting, because the site was created by hacktivists who one might assume would be among the most web-savvy. I think that is exactly the point, however. This is no time for graphics. It’s time to wage a war in cyberspace. These are its soldiers.