Getting newfags started - requesting suggestions and advice

There are plenty of people who want to do something, but very often are unlucky not to have an active anon grouping in their area. Some particularly enthusiastic people try to get stuff moving, and register a website for the purpose. Some people are probably also OSA, but there are some genuine people in the mix.

The challenge here is illustrated in the following thread:
https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/new-ct-cell.111386/

A newfag wants to get stuff going (or maybe it’s OSA, who knows) and gets the usual responses of lurk moar and OSAOSAOSA. This brings me to the following question which is the driving force behind starting this thread:

Can we construct a guide that will help newfags get a simple site/forum up and running such that said newfag would have no access to IP information?

There have been attempts at this in the past, with megaphonebtich’s guide to Ning being the pinnacle. When a Hamburg anon posted how this guide was instrumental in Hamburg’s revival it was time to pay attention. A flurry of new Nings were set up and all was right and rosy with the world until Ning went pay and a stack of sites went right down the shitter.

I am unaware of any free solution to this problem that doesn’t run the risk of going the way of Ning. There are some sites (eg: Wordpress.com) that I would expect to continue offering a free service, but such aren’t ideal for this (and Wordpress.com does give access to IPs).

Thoughts? I’m quite willing to do a lot of heavy lifting to get this going and to an active project stage (pretty much already doing it), I just need some help with the ideas and methodology.

Link to the MPB thread:
https://whyweprotest.net/community/...g-site-at-low-cost-in-under-30-minutes.32390/

Make a local website and then come to wwp and try to ramrod it down our throats?
Sounds like a brilliant plan.

What about genuinely interested newfags? How can we help them? Roundly criticizing and dismissing every new poster here doesn't further the cause. I agree that caution is always advised, but do we trounce on every single new poster who comes to the site? There has to be some sort of balance.

there is a sub forum for newbies
https://whyweprotest.net/community/forums/new-members-area-start-here.254/

most never read it. Is that WWP's fault. no
lots of newbies get trounced on because they don't take the time to READ or lurk and get used to the culture first.

None of the information in the new member area addresses the fundamental problem this thread is trying to highlight – namely how a newfag can establish a new anon group in their area, and how such can be done without risk of honeypotting.

The solution might be to simply recommend that any planning of a new group (and associated actions such as protests) be kept to a WWP thread, but I’m hopeful that there is a solution that gives a new fledging group the best chance to flourish.

The best advice that is easily accessible is contained here:
http://www.anonstillalive.com/startyourown.html

But even this is out of date, and misses what I think this thread is really about – how can this process be facilitated in a way that all participants are protected and issues of trust are not an impediment?

The only solution is to plan here on wwp.

Agree.

It may be possible to combine this with something our anon group found helpful. If you shop around you can get domain names very cheaply (about $8 a year), and if you can google some coupon codes you may be able to get whoisguard or similar thrown in. Said domain can then be redirected to any site or WWP thread of your choosing (whatever the latest thread for your protests are, direct your domain there).

As I said, this was very helpful for our group as we moved from free site to free site, meaning the domain on our flyers was always current. Combining this with using WWP as a planning hub should help solve trust issues, while having a nice short domain that can be used to promote any activism your group wishes to pursue.

If I recall correctly, in 2008 the central Chanology site was overwhelmed and a target for OSA, so the idea was to have many local independent sites. I think that the situation has changed and that a single central site is the way to go for starting a new cell that has just a handful of protesters.

Locations that have enough protesters, like Germany and Quebec will find it useful to have their own sites too, but a location just starting out probably doesn't need its own site for a while.

The suggestion so far ITT seems to be to make WWP a key element in planning for a new group. This begs the obvious questions about how WWP can best be used for this, and how the WWP community can help. As the anon above correctly noted, should a given anon group manage to establish itself then a future independent site and subsequent decentralisation may be the way to go – but until then a central site like WWP is better for serving the purpose of a planning hub.

The following isn’t intended to be definitive, exhaustive or even coherent, but rather just me trying to get some thoughts down for this thread. Yes, much of this is so 2008, but I think it may be worth distilling it down into a useable guide for the 2013 newfag.

What information is needed for planning a protest (other operations will vary)?
- Statement of goals
- Media contact(s) (preferably an ex-member or long term critic who knows their stuff)
- Details on the local laws and ordinances
- Details on local CoS activities

What are the elements of a successful protest?
- Coherent message in signage and flyers
- Following the code of conduct
- Fun and fun-generating activities

How can WWP as a tool assist in this process?
- A hub for brainstorming and for collating dox
- A location that can be promoted via domain redirect
- It allows people to register interest which helps any fledging anon group
- Connects the local group with worldwide expertise

Tips:
- Keep the planning on the thread and in the public. Going pm and email may be preferred in very specific circumstances, but when you make communications private you only serve to cut others out of the loop and make their participation less likely.
- Registering a domain that can be redirected as described in a previous post.
- Specificity works and it helps people – a specific protest time/date/location is a must to cultivate interest.
- ‘Do it faggot’ was a common war cry in 2008, and for good reason. Leading by example, and not by orders, is a key method to generate interest.

For many oldfags the above will seem trite and obvious, but that is only because we as a community have been doing these things and continually refining them – to the point where these concepts have become second nature, and are embedded in the very thought-processes we use when we conduct our activism. Strange as it may seem, these seemingly obvious and trite ideas can be incomprehensible to newfags. Some of these concepts are difficult to learn through lurking alone, and for most of oldfags the learning curve was in actually doing these things.

The challenge is in taking this expertise and constructing a newfag ‘how-to’ manual. It is about defining/describing the processes that will enable such a newfag to be able to productively direct their energy using, and to allow others to easily contribute and add to that energy. The role of WWP as a tool here, and how to best use it, are worth exploring.

A few thoughts that convince me to spend some effort on this:
How many anon groups, post 2009, established themselves on WWP and still exist today?
How many threads have been posted with newfags trying to start action, only for those threads to die in short order?

The n00bs that want us to 'join me! 'are not necessarily going to understand IPs, they are also not necessarily going to follow directions from a perma-thread.
This n00b came here to show us a cool thing he made to start a local group and said "Look at the cool thing I made! Join me!" He had spent thought and work on it.
He might be OSA, so no one went to his site. He is probably a n00b with enthusiasm, skills and a good work ethic.
There is nothing wrong with the usual OSAOSAOSA response and sarcasm (I have been a offender) as long as someone here tries to help a bit before referring him somewhere for more skills.
He will think the sarcasm and OSAOSAOSA responses are cool, too.

^^ I agree with post #10 btw.

I remember there were some hiccups in 2008 but hardly anything that kept me from raiding the shit out of San Diego, following other cells, or reading up on the constant news updates and stories. I have a feeling that WWP is even better protected from attack now than it was then. It was helpful to have a separate site for planning flash raids, but that was only because OSA was always snooping (not that it did much good, they're all useless).

So I agree, WWP is crucial to keeping noobs working together and providing them a central place for action planning. If you get a major cell together, then go for it and start a new local site for some side conversations. But you've still got to maintain a presence here or you're going to drift away from the collective and lose out on more people filtering in.

Im the noob that started that website that nobody went to. What is osa?

OSA = The Office of Special Affairs. Essentially the dirty tricks brigade of the Scientology enterprise. Throughout chanology history there have been a more than a few cases where OSA agents infiltrated anon groups.

To my mind the three most relevant newfag threads are the following:
https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/new-members-faq.66627/
https://whyweprotest.net/community/threads/new-to-whyweprotest.79618/
https://whyweprotest.net/community/...d-anonymous-whyweprotest-and-wikileaks.66046/

Each of those threads was written with the intention of informing the public about what WWP is and why it does what it does. I think the gap in the documentation (how newfags can get a group started) is why OSA doesn’t get a mention (the guides do strongly recommend anonymity though).

Although, to be fair to commenters ITT and the CT one, if a person doesn’t know what OSA is then they clearly haven’t lurked enough and have no business trying to organise activism on a topic they simply do not have enough information on.

Which serves to add another few ideas to previous posts:
- Recruiting expertise
- Cultivating and disseminating said expertise
- Specific advice to protect participants

I agree with everything except for this,respectfully disagree. This is a enthusiastic high school student who made a website and wants to connect with CT anons. If there was an "organize" thread for CT his questions about OSA could be answered there. N00bs are n00bs but you don't want to stifle enthusiasm. I'm a non-scientology protestor, I came here for FOI, learned about Scientology and Narconon and worked on those a little after I lurked more.
If this guy is OSA I will eat my hat.

QFT. Simple fact is Anonymous doesn't equal anti-Scientology. Most of the people who join today are because of the OWS stuff or other, newer ops.

Yes, the vast majority of US are anti-Scientology folks. Chanology lives!! WOO HOO!! But that's not the be all end all of us. OSA is Scientology, and if someone comes here looking for Anonymous and has no clue that we're at war with the cult, how can they be expected to know what OSA is?

The biggest problem is the lack of "lurk moar". Newbies aren't doing it. There's no way to make them do it other than to tell them to do it and point them to the newbie links. That's the problem with the Internet, people are going to just show up and start posting.

But, to be fair, as a community we have a bit of a failing in that area. Some of the material is out-of-date, is possibly too chanology-focused, doesn’t properly account for the idiocy of newfaggotry, doesn’t seem to be as conducive to explaining how to participate as I’d like, etc. The material that does exist isn’t as front-and-centre as it perhaps needs to be, but that will be resolved in due course I suspect.

I started this thread to act as a dumping ground for my own thoughts and to solicit some community input for the purpose of guiding the formation of new anon groups. Maybe the scope needs to be a little broader, and there is certainly a terrific foundation to build from with the newfag material WWP already has.

Please share some of the material from your private messages with 562, as they seem to represent the ideal hypothetical against which to build such a guide. The chap is ignorant of anon culture, doesn’t get trolling culture either, doesn’t seem to get that idealism is a poor substitute hard work in pushing a given project, has bags of enthusiasm and wants to do shit, etc. etc. The challenge is to lay out clear easy-to-follow guidelines for people such as this to help them participate productively.

To finish I have to concede the bloody obvious – if a section titled ‘Anonymous V Scientology’ isn’t enough for visitors to see that said section is about ‘Anonymous V Scientology’ then said visitors clearly haven’t lurked moar.

The convo with 562 won't be of much help, it's more one on one mentor ship which is a different conversation style than the FAQs and Stickies. What I will be happy to do is in my spare time start working on editing and updating those to be more user friendly, more relevant, and more useful. I'm too busy to be doing much else but I can certainly spare 5 minutes here and there to do some minor tweaking and editing.

Again, to be fair to the newbies, the title Anonymous vs Scientology is smaller than the subforums are. Yes, there is a subforum of Scientology and Anonymous IN Anonymous vs Scientology which should be a big helpful hint, but it could just as easily be confused as being the only forum for that discussion and the rest is everything else. I choose to never underestimate the utter stupidity and lack of common sense in a human being.

I’ll hold you to that. I should have some new drafts posted here over the weekend.

Send me a PM when something is up. I'm not making promises because the Pfizer check is minuscule compared to my day job, but I'll do my part for the cause.

I will be happy to take a piece and write it. PM me with a title and I will bullet point it and shoot it back at you.

An easy way to help would be to make a sticky thread with this info in it, and instead of jumping on newfags with LURK MOAR, simply direct them to the thread and tell them to read it first. Perhaps a "So you want to plan a protest, what now?" thread. That way they don't have to read the whole damn site to figure out what the hell it's about. It took me six months and many hours of lurking before I figured out the culture and the major players, and I started as anti SCN and graduated from OCMB, and it's been a long damn time since I was 17 and clueless. I like all the enthusiasm from high schoolers! I think it's nice to have a new generation of Anons.

If all goes well I should have some stuff to post later today which you and soldier can attack. Any ideas you have post away - I'm going to be hoovering up all the ideas I can find ITT and in the newfag forum for my drafts.

I don't want to reverse leaderfag on this, but if you and/or rickybobby ID what needs updating, then just tell me which one you want me to start on, that'd be a big help. I really don't mind if either of you takes lead on this, I just want to worker drone it.

Welcome to WhyWeProtest!

Given how large and active the WhyWeProtest community is, and how much information has been amassed in the WhyWeProtest forums, it is understandable that new visitors to the site may feel overwhelmed and unsure of where they should start. For these reasons the WhyWeProtest community have produced this guide.

It is strongly recommended that all new users and visitors read this guide in full, which will give an introduction to WhyWeProtest including its culture and its history. This guide will also teach how to start participating in those WhyWeProtest initiatives.

Important note: WhyWeProtest does not support, condone or endorse any illegal activities. If you, as a visitor, have come to WhyWeProtest seeking out such activities (eg: hacking, DDOS, violence, etc.) then you have come to the wrong place. Any postings made that advocate any illegal activity will be removed and the poster banned. We encourage all members of the WhyWeProtest community to report such postings by using the ‘report’ link – this will greatly assist WhyWeProtest staff to remove any calls for illegal activity.

The History of WhyWeProtest

2008 saw the birth of “Project Chanology”, an internet-based campaign to expose fraud and abuse inflicted by the Church of Scientology upon its members. This campaign was initiated by ‘Anonymous’, and included ex-members of Scientology and long-time critics of Scientology. Anonymous is simply a group of people who communicate using disposable identities, or not using any identity at all. The term ‘Anonymous’ can refer to the millions of people who post on various websites without using their real identities, it can refer to any given subset of those people, or it can even refer to a single person.

In mid-2008 WhyWeProtest was founded, and has been the central hub for Project Chanology activism (including the organisation of peaceful protests) ever since. It has served as a place for the community to share information on Project Chanology, as well as providing a centralised planning platform. Since its founding, WhyWeProtest has grown and initiated planning and discussion in other pro-free speech areas. WhyWeProtest’s role has been to provide a stable platform to discuss legal methods of protest and information dissemination.

A more detailed account of Project Chanology can be found here.

The Culture of WhyWeProtest

WhyWeProtest began as an offshoot of the wider Anonymous collective. Anonymous internet culture typically involves a lot of ‘memes’ and ‘trolling’, and this culture has largely carried over to the WhyWeProtest community. As you browse the forums you will notice unusual terminology, repeated instances of the same misspellings, posting of pictures with cat imagery, in-jokes, etc., which are all aspects of this culture.

Please note that while some posters may appear overly harsh (if not visceral) in their comments, this is a normal part of WhyWeProtest culture and how frank and heated debate is conducted. New users and visitors are encouraged not to take such comments seriously and ‘not to feed the troll’. Please also note that some of targets of WhyWeProtest’s activism (most notably the Church of Scientology through their Office of Special Affairs or OSA for short) try to post disruptive material in an attempt to derail forum threads.

The WhyWeProtest forums offer the option to post ‘anonymously’, which allows users to post information with their posting being tied to their WhyWeProtest username. Many in the WhyWeProtest community prefer to post this way (which is why you will see a lot of ‘Anonymous’ postings), and it contributes to a forum dynamic than new users and visitors may be unfamiliar with.

Some of the terminology used on WhyWeProtest, which may be unfamiliar to new users and visitors, is as follows:

B& - Banned. WhyWeProtest staff who have banned a poster are said to have ‘wielded the b&hammer’.
Dox – Means documents or evidence. When making a claim it is recommended that you post ‘dox’ to evidence that claim. Unevidenced claims will usually be greeted with the phrase ‘Dox or GTFO’.
Doxing – The practices of posting personal information. When someone’s personal information has been posted that person is said to have been ‘doxed’ or ‘namefagged’. If you see a posting engaging in doxing please report it to the WhyWeProtest staff.
Fag – A suffix used to mean “has the quality of”. For example, a person from German would be described as a ‘Germanfag’, and a person who was talented at graphics would be described as a ‘graphicsfag’.
GTFO – Get The F**k Out, a typical way of requesting that a person leaved the given forum thread.
IRL – In Real Life. Used to signify activities performed in person and not via the internet.
ITT – In This Thread.
Lurk Moar – A request that is often new users and visitors of WhyWeProtest asking them to spend more time reading the forum. It is specifically suggesting that the person in question has not read the relevant documentation for a given topic.
NSFW – Not Safe For Work, a phrase used to warn others than certain content is highly offensive and not appropriate to access in a public place.
Necromancy – The phrase used to describe when someone posts in a thread that has been inactive for a very long time. Check the date of a thread before posting and, unless you have important new information to add, don’t resurrect long-dead threads.
Newfag – A term used to describe new users and visitors of WhyWeProtest.
OP – Opening Post or Opening Poster. Used to refer to the first post in the a thread or to the person who posted it.
/r/ - Short for ‘request’.
Raid – The term given to a protest gathering. Please see here for advice on how to protest legally and safely.
STFU – Shut The F**k Up, a typical way of informing another that you wish they would cease posting on a given topic.
The Dome – Short for ‘Thunderdome’, and is the name given for the sewer of the WhyWeProtest forum. Posts and threads that are derails, spam, advocating illegal activity, tinfoil or just plain stupid are moved to the dome. More information on the dome can be found here.
TLDR – Too Long, Didn’t Read. Used to signify that a given post is too long. Can also be used a means of requesting a summary. Some posters add a ‘TLDR’ summary at the end of length posts.
V& - Vanned. This refers to when a person has been arrested by law enforcement, with the term ‘partyvans’ referring to law enforcement vehicles.


Participating in WhyWeProtest Initiatives

It is strongly recommend that new users and visitors ‘lurk’ in the forums of any initiative they wish to participate in. Reading through some of the threads associated with an initiative will help you learn what the initiative is about and what you can to assist.

All users and visitors are encouraged to maintain their anonymity while participating in WhyWeProtest initiatives. Do not share your name or personal details with other members of the community. Initiatives such as Project Chanology may entail some element of personal risk (the Church of Scientology has a documented history of harassing its critics), and maintaining your personal anonymity is the only sure way to protect yourself.

Final Comment

If you have any questions about WhyWeProtest that have not been answered here please feel free to contact any the WhyWeProtest moderators – you can find the names of moderators who are currently online in the upper right corner of the main forums page. Also, you can post any questions you have to the Still Got Questions? Ask Them Here thread. New users and visitors are also encouraged to browse the New Members Area which contains useful information on getting started on WhyWeProtest.

Links to Further Information

New Members Introduce Yourself Here thread
Guidelines for Protesting Safely
Guidelines for Maintaining Your Anonymity (see draft)
Introduction to Project Chanology activism (need to update this)
Introduction to the Iran initiative
Introduction to the OpInnocence initiative
WhyWeProtest Staff
Starting an Anonymous Group (much of the content for this is already ITT, just need to collate and refine it)

Guidelines for Maintaining Your Anonymity

Some WhyWeProtest initiatives involve activism against dangerous foes. Project Chanology, which is directed against the fraud and abuse of the Church of Scientology, is one such example. The Church of Scientology, through its Office of Special Affairs, has a history of targeting and harassing its critics. In cases such as this it is necessary for activists to retain their anonymity in order to ensure they are protected.

This guide is intended to give new users and visitors of WhyWeProtest tips and advice on how to remain anonymous.

- Do not use the same name on WhyWeProtest that you use ANYWHERE else. Doing otherwise will make it possible to connect your WhyWeProtest identity with your other online identities, making it easier to identify you. When choosing your WhyWeProtest username, pick a new one that is completely unrelated to you or any other profiles you use anywhere else.

- Do not use the same password on WhyWeProtest that you use anywhere else. If you use the same password across many different internet sites it means that, should any single one of those sites become compromised, then all your internet accounts are compromised. This is good advice that should be followed even for activities unrelated to WhyWeProtest.

- Try to use an anonymous proxy service, such as TOR, when accessing any website you do not believe to be secure when you wish to remain anonymous. You can find a detailed tutorial for setting up TOR with Firefox here. Using a proxy service is particularly important if you are engaged in activism in locations such as Iran.

- Be mindful about what information you reveal about yourself when you make postings online, even when using a pseudonym. Even though no single post can identify you, nevertheless over time a series of postings may contain enough clues and facts about yourself to allow others to identify you. The general rule is simply to not post any personal information, period.

- If you engage in a protest in real life do not talk about your online identity. This information isn’t necessary to conduct the protest. Keep your mask on and follow the tips in our protesting guide. Be aware that engaging in socialising activity as part of a protest always carries the risk of exposing your identity.

- Try not to drive to protest if you can avoid it. License plate numbers are an easy way for others to identify you. If using public transport is not possible, try to park far enough away from the protest location to keep your identity safe. Be vigilant when returning to your car to make sure you are not being followed. To illustrate the importance of this, in March 2008 the Church of Scientology named 26 individuals in a lawsuit while attempting to obtain an injunction against protesters (which was denied), and had used license plate numbers to identify some of the previous protesters.

Aside from getting input for the previous two drafts (additions to the terminology is certainly needed), I think we also need:

- An updated introduction to chanology
- Updates to the protesting guide, particularly how to organise one
- Guide for starting a new anon group (a lot of the content is already ITT)
- Guides for all the initiatives

I suspect I’ll end up writing a guide to starting a new chanology group and then end up generalising that, but we’ll see how it goes. That’s my lot for today – back tomorrow.

Introduction to Project Chanology activism

WhyWeProtest is the hub of Project Chanology, an internet-based campaign started by Anonymous to expose fraud and abuse inflicted by the Church of Scientology upon its members. Several years ago, the loose collective of activists called Anonymous chose Scientology as a campaign target because of its aggressive attempts to remove the now infamous Tom Cruise Scientology video from the internet. Today, Anonymous along with ex-Scientologists and other activists continue this crusade. Since the anti-Scientology campaign began, activists have exposed many serious misdeeds, including but not limited to:

• Free speech violations
• Human rights violations including suspicious deaths, torture, coerced abortions, the deliberate separation of families, and human trafficking
• Illegal actions such as harassment, slander, libel, extortion, and vexatious lawsuits
• Fraudulent activities including questionable tax exemptions, unsafe drug rehabilitation practices, irregular business practices, bogus educational and charitable organizations designed to infiltrate schools and recruit young people

More Information on Scientology Abuses

Visit the pages and sites below for more information on Scientology abuses. As these abuses are widespread and voluminous, these websites contain a LOT of information:

Operation Clambake
The St. Petersburg Times Truth Rundown
The Secret Library of Scientology
Xenu TV
The Underground Bunker
Dublin Offlines Conference
Reaching For The Tipping Point
Ex-Scientology Message Board

The Role of WhyWeProtest in Project Chanology

WhyWeProtest serves as a stable platform for Project Chanology activists to share information regarding the Church of Scientology, as a place to network and arrange media interviews, and as a place to organise peaceful protests (known as ‘raids’) outside of Scientology enterprises.

One of the core activities are the peaceful protests, which are aimed at warning the public about Scientology’s fraud and abuse. These protest are also aimed at current Scientology victims, with the intention of sharing with them critical information about their organisation and to help those members feel empowered to leave.

Guidelines for Scientology Protesters

Following a few basic common-sense guidelines at protests will help you to avoid problems, to protest effectively and to enjoy yourself.

Behavior

• Do not raid alone. Doing so could make you a target for Scientology handlers, and there really is safety in numbers.
• Before planning a protest always check local laws regarding public gatherings. Get a permit if one is required.
• Have a camera operational at all times. This will discourage Scientology handlers from messing with you, and will provide evidence against any claims Scientology will make regarding you. Scientology has a long history of lying to police regarding peaceful protesters, and having a camera is one way to prove your side of the story.
• Film protests will also make it possible for you to share a post-game video. This provides entertainment to the community as well as learning material on how to protest properly.
• If this is your first protest then contact your local anonymous group and arrange to meet beforehand. Stay together.
• Consider protecting your name, face and identity for safety's sake. In general, WhyWeProtest encourages protesters to avoid sharing personal information even with other Anons.
• Avoid behaviour that can be considered aggressive or annoying. Be polite at all times.
• No alcohol. It can impair your judgement and lead to needless problems.

Harassment, violence, and legal actions against Scientology protesters are less common now than they used to be, but they do still occur. Use common sense and conceal your identity from strangers and even from other Anons, and follow these guidelines:

• Stay across the street from the Scientology location being protested. This will make it much more difficult for Scientology handlers to harass you and will help you keep good relations with the police. If there is no street then find another natural barrier.
• Never enter the Scientology property. Aside from being illegal and likely trespass, it is a really stupid thing to do given Scientology’s history with protesters.
• Film the protest, particularly any interactions with Scientology handlers.
• Don’t use real names or WWP nicknames while raiding or socializing with other Anons.
• Keep backpacks, purses, and pockets closed, and check their contents. Consider leaving cell phones at home or using disposable phones.

Working With Police

• If appropriate, give your local police notification of your protest. Inform them of your peaceful and legal methods.
• Be polite, low-key, and cooperative when talking with police (This includes providing identification if requested). Thank them for their involvement, even if decisions do not go your way.
• Contact the police immediately if anyone in the group is harassed.
• If police are unavailable, film any suspicious behaviour and leave.

Consider this advice from an experienced Anon:

What to Bring

Consult your local anon group for advice about what to bring (and not bring) to a protest. A few things are essential, though:

• Cash for transportation and food
• Identification in case you’re stopped by police
• Water
• Comfortable shoes
• Seasonal clothing
• A sign or pamphlets

What to Wear

Clothing: What you wear can change or conceal identifying physical characteristics. These suggestions will help you to dress anonymously.

• Cover your hands.
• Women, pad up or strap down.
• Do not use the same disguise or clothing items over and over at protests. Avoid your usual clothing styles, brands or logos.
• To avoid buying multiple winter coats, have each anon in your cell buy a couple of oversized, different-coloured waterproof ponchos. Snip generous vents and wear a warm base layer to avoid hyperthermia. Randomise who wears which poncho at each protest.
• Do not wear the same shoes to raid after raid. Vary shoes’ sizes and styles—but keep them comfortable.

Face Coverings: A Guy Fawkes mask is the traditional Anon face covering, and it's a good one. Before buying a mask to protest in, , check your local laws and ordinances and consult your local anon group - in some locations masks are not permitted. If you do not have a mask, or cannot wear one because of local laws or do not want to wear one, any face covering will do: theatrical masks, surgical or dust mask, scarves or bandannas, face paint and veils are good alternatives.

To find a Guy Fawkes mask, ask your local anon group or check out online vendors:

• Amazon.com
• Ebay
• Forbidden Planet
• Buy masks from a critic
• Vendetta Mask - Masks - Costume Accessories - Halloween Costumes - Party City
• Or, make your own: Kimpix » Guy Fawkes Papercraft Mask

Hair Coverings:Always cover or change your hair while raiding. There are lots of ways to change or your hair:

• To avoid showing any hair, tuck it into a skullcap (easily made with a pair of pantyhose or purchased at a beauty supply store) and wear another covering over it. You may also find hairpins, spirit gum and double-sided tape helpful.
• Wear a wig to conceal hair, hairlines, ears and other identifying characteristics. Choose a wig that is a different color and style from your hair.
• Wear a hood or hat.

Additional Disguises: There are a few other steps that you can take to further ensure your anonymity:

• Make sure to disguise any unusual features.
• Use make-up or clothing to cover all tattoos, birthmarks, and scars - not merely those that are immediately visible. To disguise tattoos, stencil something elsewhere, and do a similar decoration over your real ink.
• Disguise distinctive piercings and add fake ones - the bigger, the better - by using nose, lip, and eyebrow jewelry.

Transportation

While it is not very likely that you will be followed by Scientologists seeking to identify you, it has happened many times in the past so you may as well be prepared.

• Use public transportation whenever possible. If using public transport, travel to a random destination, then change routes. Leave the vehicle, then re-enter it at the last moment. Consider parking at a stop you don't normally use, going a stop past, and walking back to your car.
• If you drive, park some distance away from the raid location.
• Assume you are being followed when leaving a raid, and take evasive manoeuvres habitually. Take a wide, unpredictable route so it will be hard to confirm that you’ve entered or left an area. Cross roads, underpasses and bridges. This makes you harder to follow and forces anyone who tries into revealing themselves or taking another route.
• If on foot, don’t leave alone. Walk through large, busy buildings with multiple exits. If possible cross to adjacent structures overground/underground. Walk in the opposite direction from oncoming traffic, and cross large empty spaces (parks, carparks, public squares, shopping malls) so you’ll be able to see anyone following you. Don’t go into parking garages or other empty areas alone.
• Pack an extra disguise and decide beforehand on a changing spot (subway stairways or any business with a bathroom, for instance). Stop there on your way home to change your appearance by adding or removing clothing and headgear.

If you have questions, contact your local anon group for advice. Protesting Scientology is generally not dangerous these days, but being cautious will ensure your safety.

Need some input on whether the links I used above are the best sources of Scientology info.

Next up - starting a new anon group.

I'm going to work the FAQ. I've pulled a copy off line.

Good stuff. The 'still got questions' has some good answers in it too if you can wade through 80+ pages....

It's missing the Archive of publications

There's a little list we've been working on that could probably be linked to..
http://whyweprotest.wikia.com/wiki/Former_Church_of_Scientology_members_who_have_spoken_out

I think the Dave Touretzky’s link is a better choice imo, but what do others think?

Noted. Initially left it out because, while impressive, I’m not sure it really helps newfags learn the topic. Wouldn’t take much persuasion to include it though.

Starting an Anonymous Group

So you have read WhyWeProtest’s forums, or perhaps you came to WhyWeProtest because you wish to get involved with some of WhyWeProtest’s initiatives, and you find that there is no local Anonymous group in your area. In order to help you found an Anonymous group in your area the WhyWeProtest community have produced this guide. It will give tips and guidance on what to do, as well as pointing out important things you will need to consider in order to make your Anonymous group a success.

Important note: Much of the content of this guide is based on Project Chanology and activism against the Church of Scientology. As such there may be sections of this guide that do not apply to your proposed Anonymous group, and this will depend on the particular initiatives your Anonymous group wishes to pursue.

Starting Considerations

Before you even consider founding an Anonymous group you need to decide what causes and initiatives (eg: Project Chanology) you want the group to pursue. Those causes and initiatives will play a vital role in guiding the formation and growth of your Anonymous group. Without a well-defined specific cause or initiative, and associated goals, your group will be rendered ineffective and useless.

Having decided on a cause and/or initiative, the next step is become well-versed on the issues surrounding that cause/initiative. It is not possible to be effective on a given issue without being extremely well-informed on that issue. The onus will be on you to explain to others why a given cause/initiative is worthwhile, and to do that effectively you will need to be capable of presenting cogent argumentation supported by dox – something that you will be unable to do if you are not sufficiently knowledgeable of the topic. Lurking the relevant WhyWeProtest forums and asking questions is a great way to learn.

Note: The WhyWeProtest community has considerable expertise to offer that can be useful to founding a new Anonymous group. Due to the trolling nature of WhyWeProtest culture, the delivery of this expertise can be quite blunt (even rude). Don’t take the trolling seriously, grow some skin and take the lessons that are on offer. This is especially so when the WhyWeProtest community is challenging conspiracy nonsense and you are unable to defend your unsupported assertions.

Laying the Foundations for a New Anonymous Group

Now that you have decided on the cause/initiative you want to pursue, and you have done sufficient research on said cause/initiative, the next step is to lay the foundations for recruiting new participants in your area. Before you begin reaching out you will need to have somewhere you can direct potential participants to allow them to learn more.

Writing about your cause/initiative, describing why it is important, explaining how people can help, and presenting supporting information and documents is crucial for any recruitment drive. A WhyWeProtest thread is a good place to start when collecting the documents and information you need and to get them in one location. For some initiatives (eg: Project Chanology) there may be existing materials that you can use for your new Anonymous group and you will find these in the relevant WhyWeProtest forums. If there are no existing materials (maybe because your cause/initiative has not been covered before on WhyWeProtest) then you will have to make/write them.

Where possible your materials should:
- Explain the purpose of your cause/initiative
- Provide a persuasive well-reasoned argument supported by dox (with links to further information and media articles when necessary)
- Give guidance on how participants can retain their anonymity (read more here)
- State specific goals to be achieved
- Identify specific actions that potential participants will be able to conduct in furtherance of the cause/initiative
- Have a focus on public education regarding the issues relevant to the cause/initiative

It is important that the above foundational information be located in one place that you will be able to direct potential participants. Your choice of the best location for this material (eg: on WhyWeProtest, on a decentralised website, on Facebook, etc.) will depend on the particular cause/initiative. As a rule it is probably better to use WhyWeProtest as your location for the initial stages of your Anonymous group, and only when you have a few new participants should you move to a decentralised site/forum.

Considerations on Decentralising

Forums are the lifeblood of any Anonymous group. They are where planning takes place, where ideas are discussed and evaluated, where information and expertise is shared. In short if your group doesn't have a forum then you need to get one. WhyWeProtest is an excellent place to begin, although after an Anonymous group becomes established such a group can benefit greatly from having a decentralised website and forum where they can concentrate on local matters without the need to sift through the massive amount of information available on WhyWeProtest.

There are no shortage of free tools available, but there tends to be trade-offs in terms of features and stability. Facebook, for example, is free and highly stable but many anons regard it as being useless when it comes to preserving anonymity. Other sites offering a free service such as Yuku, Mixxt, or Yooco promise a one-stop-shop. But there are limitations to free sites, and there is no guarantee that those sites will continue to offer free services (examples of sites that ceased offering free services include Ning and Grou.ps). As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

If you have a bit of cash and/or some technical expertise, buying proper hosting can be a worthwhile investment. Including a domain this can cost between $4 and $10 a month. There are many approaches that can be used, but a good one is to combine Wordpress as your Content Management System with a phpbb3 forum (Wordpress and phpbb are open source freeware). This combination easily caters for allowing more people to participate in website administration tasks, and is probably the easiest installation available for a self-hosted website.

Useful tips for decentralisation include:
- Register your domain separately from your hosting (and, if possible, get whoisguard or similar to protect your anonymity). This ensures that, should you ever need to move hosting or to a new free site, you will only have to redirect that domain. (You can also point your domain to the relevant WhyWeProtest thread if you are still using WhyWeProtest)
- Be sure to follow WhyWeProtest for updates that may be relevant to your local group and your cause/initiative. Should your group discover information that would be of interest to the WhyWeProtest community please cross-post it as necessary.
- Don’t let all the workload fall on the shoulders of only one person. This has proved to be a bad idea time and time again. Find ways to share the workload and to get people involved in the development of your group.
- As an Anonymous groups grows, people of different skills and talents will participate. This skills and talents can be a real asset if you can find ways to cultivate and utilise those assets.
- Make sure ONE person holds all the website keys. This person should stay neutral and focus on keeping the site running properly at all costs. Preferably they should keep out of local drama and only weigh-in if it is a group breaking issue.
- Have a set of website moderators that act as a counsel. They should dictate social direction and represent a broad set of ideals and experiences.
- Many in the WhyWeProtest community participate in decentralised groups, and have a wealth of experience that might prove useful to your group. Seeing what other Anonymous groups have done, and learning from that, is a good way to get ideas. If you need help or advice with something ask the WhyWeProtest community, and they will be able to point you in the right direction.

Promoting and Growing Your New Anonymous Group

Posting a thread on WhyWeProtest is only the starting point, and the onus will be on you to reach out to you own local community. Hitting up your local internet forums to spread the word is a good idea. Posters and leafleting also work. In all cases, it is strongly recommended that you have a specially registered domain name that you can direct people to for more information (particularly if that information is localised).

Some causes/initiatives are best conducted through rallies/protests, and events like these are ideal for spreading the word and for reaching out to potential participants. The planning of such events can also serve as a catalyst to help the formation of a new group. Setting a definite date, time and location for a rally/protest are essential. It is also essential to have all the information regarding local laws and ordinances as they relate to rallies/protests, and to make this information easily available for event attendees. If in doubt on any matter of law then get in contact with your local law enforcement officials. Having good relations with law enforcement can help your activities proceed smoothly. How well you liaison with your local law enforcement and city councils will have a direct effect on how well your protests and flyering goes. Flyers should have a coherent message and contain weblinks for readers to learn more information (artwork/logos can be found on WhyWeProtest). Tips and advice for rallies/protesting can be found here.

As your group becomes established it will also develop the infrastructure to recruit and cultivate expertise. An example of this is where, for Anonymous groups involved in Project Chanology, ex-members of Scientology become involved and share their inside experiences and knowledge (including Scientology materials) regarding the Church of Scientology. Find ways to use this expertise. Having media contacts, as well as writing press releases, is a great way of promoting your message. It is also important to develop the infrastructure to capitalise on media opportunities – an example of this in Project Chanology is having ex-members of Scientology and knowledgeable critics available for local media interviews when a large story breaks.

Final Thoughts

Sometimes personality clashes and drama occurs, and this is a normal occurrence within Anonymous and WhyWeProtest culture. If a website administrator ‘loses their shit’ then abandon ship and rebuild. If a moderator ‘loses their shit’ remove them immediately and replace them with someone that represents the interests of the group. Rinse and repeat until you have a well-oiled machine.

Keep the information and expertise exchange between WhyWeProtest and your local group active.

Stagnation and boredom are common issues with groups pursing causes/initiatives – find ways to mitigate this and try to have fun with your activism.

Better because it has less than one tenth of the publications and none newer than 1991, or better because it doesn't show quotes/summaries with covers when you do this?

It's more the ever-increasing number than a topic summary, useful if they intend to protest and have the slightest chance of encountering a Scientologist that believes the number of ex-members speaking out is "a small group". You can only have so many "introductory" pages without helping newcomers that really want to know the full scope of things at the beginning.
You could even add something next to the link like (Warning: this page will make you go "FWOAH!")

Good job from first look, will work on tomorrow when the wine has worn off.

The Secret Library link has things up to 1997, but you're right in that there's nothing from the last decade and a half listed there.
I like the way publications are listed by author at the Secret Library but I just noticed you can, for example if you want all Stephen Kent publications, do the same thing (including more recent stuff) at the Archive of Publications:
http://web.archive.org/web/20130607084406im_/http://htmlpad.org/Scientology/#aar=Kent

So I say the archive is a better link because of that, but also because the Secret Library points people to "other collections" at the bottom which can lead people in merry click-chasing circles, whereas the archive combines all the collections together and lets people on Google Plus comment at the bottom.

I'll go you one better: you can get the Archive to show just publications from all the authors listed the Secret Library.