There is a purported Chinese curse which goes: "May you live in interesting times!"

But in all seriousness, how lucky are we! If you read or watched V for Vendetta a few years ago and you've been following news of the Anonymous Phenomenon recently, it's difficult not to appreciate the widespread V/Guy Fawkes imagery that seems to have attached itself to the AnonOps image. I post this now because most of the excitement surrounding them seems to have died down. Rather than trying to judge this amorphous body of persons for their collective actions, I'd rather think of them as a sophisticated new breed of trolls we all must learn to deal with. Compare AnonOps to young conservative activist James O'Keefe, who disguised himself and confederates as a pimp and, presumably, a couple of 'ho's. For another conservative example, take Sarah Palin's marvelously absurd invention of "death panels" during fateful eleventh-hour debates on the health care Omnibus bill. I'm not the first to suggest that the Westboro Baptist Church is comprised of "professional" trolls. I offer examples from America's right wing to demonstrate that anyone can employ the meager art of the troll, although its mastery is an outgrowth of 'net and youth culture. The tactics themselves may be as underhanded as you goddamn like, but observe the examples I gave-they work!

Given that it's a helluva lot easier and media-savvy than civil debate, does this mean we can expect the emergence of only greater and more sophisticated trolling operations?