Real life Denial of Service Attack

“Flash mobs”, where people “voluntarily and simultaneously converge” to “partake in a silly and harmless activity” prompts a thought;

isn’t this the elements of a DOS attack?

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/08/04/flash.mob/index.html

5 Comments

  1. mona1610 · August 6, 2003 Reply

    Hmm. Very interesting. It also probably explains why I saw a group of people sitting at the raod side cafe suddenly begin applauding loudly (and scaring away the pigeons) here in the midst of Marienplatz at Munich last week.

    I thought they were appreciating a street performance, but when I looked again, there was no one! I simply dismissed it as *one of the thinks I miss ever so often!* 😛

  2. admin · August 6, 2003 Reply

    hehe.. I’ve seen few drunkards do that on MG road many times too :))

  3. mona1610 · August 6, 2003 Reply

    Lol… they were drinking alright! But, look, they still remembered to clap in unison.. didn’t miss the timing, I say!!! 😛

  4. mannu · August 7, 2003 Reply

    In times of riots, this could be used to organise some mindless violence: virtual mob frenzy spilling out into real life. Certainly raises a lot of question in the mind. On the one hand, I’m not in favour of any kind of policing on the Internet; on the other, I’m afraid the power that the Internet brings you can be misused in so many ways!

    Here’s one more example: a Star Wars casualty.

    Reminds me of Spiderman: With great power comes great responsibility.

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