Second day blogging. Continuing with Yahoo!'s Netrospective (see yesterday) they highlighted the fleeting phenomenon of flashmobs. Back in 2003, mobs of people would turn up at a location agreed by email (or sms), make a stir and depart leaving onlookers bemused or store owners befuddled. Yahoo! notes that the fad didn't last long. On the other hand, there are still flashmobs on the net and, arguably, they are playing a more useful role this time around. Placing vigilantly issues aside for the moment, flashmobs are now being used to close down fake bank sites. It is one of several tools used by artists against 419. Others include the Mugu Marauder which they insist isn't a Denial of Service attack. Make up your own mind and maybe you won't mind anyway since the targets are fraudulent websites. While the idea of well intentioned groups deciding who should be targeted is still (to my way of thinking) disconcerting, at least for the sites I double checked in "whois?" they seemed to be right on the fraudulent money. So perhaps flashmanesque mob tactics are warranted. Looking at the live fake sites in the Artists database (please note warning if you do) is a bit like watching someone being mugged and not doing anything (even for those that understand how hard it is to do something expeditiously in relation to fake sites). By the way they seem to be having some success but you might find yourself asking aren't the same problems raised as by the Lycos "attack on spammers" applying here. Sir Harry Flashman might have added "Damn their eyes" and not just about the fraudsters.
