Infinite Path

It has been reported that the attack against Twitter, which disabled the service for more than an hour, may have actually been aimed at just one user.

Other large social networking services were also targeted but fared better than the obviously weaker Twitter.

This shows the power of just one voice in an environment where there are so many people competing to be heard. It also shows how others, the hackers in this case, can become consumed with the aim of silencing that one voice.

Speculation is mounting that an order was sent from the Russian government to action this online assault, which begs the question of how long it will be until people are severely censored online.

At the moment, the internet is one of the only places in the world where there are no clear rules. Yes, downloading and sharing free music is illegal and, of course, gambling is not allowed in certain countries. However, even with those rules in place, trying to govern anything is very difficult.

The perceived anonymity of the internet makes people feel invincible. They feel that they can say whatever they want without fear of consequence or ramifications. This is true to an extent, and it is for this reason that one would presume it may not always be that way.

Governments and organisations in power always seek control. They are in many ways powerless when it comes to the internet, even with the technology available to them currently.

Loss of service for millions of users is unacceptable. If loss of service for millions occurs because one person is a target, it can surely not be long until that one user is denied. On this basis, it is also more than possible that steps will be taken in the future to ensure that no one else can become such a high profile influence online.