Anonymous was a hacker group, that grew out of 4chan, in the mid-2000s, but they grew. About a dozen years after they were founded, they managed to manipulate an election. Most people will not call people who troll people on the internet influential, but this becomes less and less the case. I am going to try to cover the influential side of the internet trolling movement, and how it works. There are many aspects that make anonymous and troll groups so influential: ability to adapt, power in numbers, and speed. When you throw in an unsuspecting target into the equation, the internet trolls usually win.
One thing you need to realize about anonymous and the trolling movement, is they could adapt. If you look at Anonymous during Operation Chanology, one of their biggest aspects that help them out was their ability to adapt and change tactics for the situation. During Chanology a bunch of internet trolls had to protest in the streets. Most people where not expecting this, or so many protesters, but the internet trolls pulled it off. Even after that when chat rooms were getting raided, the ability to leave and form other chat rooms, with trusted individuals.
Anonymous and troll groups are also successful because they have power in numbers. This is true, since the group is very inclusive, with many different members, with different views on life. Also, they can share an idea, without siders, and have out siders share idea, making an outsider, a functioning part of the group. Also, it is interesting to note, Anonymous got their Guy Fawkes mask idea from a movie called V for Vendetta. One of the quotes was:
“Beneath this mask there is more than flesh, beneath this mask there is an idea, (Mr. Creedy,) and ideas are bulletproof.”
It interesting to note, that since Anonymous relies on spreading ideas, such as meme, propaganda, or just a drop from a dox, this is one of their most effective tactics. Another thing interesting to note, about troll groups and Anonymous, is the fact that they, are look down upon, by the people they want to go after. Most people think of people who are involved in Chan culture, or online chat rooms, as losers. The truth is there are a lot of smart people on these. It is just a question of when they decide to work together and what they work on. It is amazing what can be done.