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The Distributed Denial of Women (DDoW) strike is an international call in protest to unequal conditions of women and genderfluid/queer in technology. Its name alludes to a certain type of cybernetic technique (Distributed Denial of Service) that consists in overwhelming a machine that hosts sites (server) with requests to the point that it collapses: like a crowd invading a building and making it impossible for other people to get in.
DDoS has been a tactic in civil disobedience during the 90s but, in the present, stands in muddy waters. On one hand, now they are generally automatic and deployed by mercenaries hired by state and private sector to censor and fuel capitalism. Human right defenders and activists, independent media, feminists, LGTBQ* and non-conforming diverse communities at a whole are constantly targeted. The specific impact of attacking and silencing regions like Latin America, Middle East North Africa (MENA) and South East Asia adds more layers to the scenario.
On the other hand, the culture that surrounds Anonymous and other groups that take credit for famous DDoS attacks are deeply misogynist. Trolling on platforms like 4chan (notorious for promoting hate speech) and sexist allusions (one of DDoS tools slogan is based on a popular case of appalling cyberbullying and harassment).
Read the full article in GenderIT.org.
