Anarchy rules! Flash mobs are fast growing around the world.

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | Monday, August 11, 2003 | Neva Chonin

[presidio9]

Saturday afternoon in Dolores Park feels bucolic. Dog owners walk their pets past groups of friends clustered around benches, chatting. Strolling couples steer around sun-lovers sprawled on the grass.

Chaos erupts at exactly 2:07 p.m. Sun-bathers suddenly leap to their feet and friends break formation. Strangers begin grabbing one another's hands and running toward a central point in the park. Pedestrians on Dolores Street and patrons of a sidewalk cafe charge up the hill to join them.

[mhking]

I like things that are silly and purposeless.

'Nuff said.

Just damn.

If you want on the new list, FReepmail me. This IS a high-volume PING list...

[martin_fierro]

They copy FReeping and call it original. Feh.

[freeangel]

This must be what happens when people have no other lives.

[basil]

That was my first thought, too--these people seriously need to get a life.

Now--if we could get more than a handful of conservatives to show up to protest or rally for something really important, this would be a good thing!

[EggsAckley]

If the media stopped reporting these things they would die a sudden death.

[zeromus]

overanalyzed. its just a highly organized prank. the class of pranks that are harmless but involve personally embarassing silliness is an old and revered form of art. whats different about people organizing it via email? it used to just be us sitting around in the living room deciding to make fools out of ourselves.

[WhiteGuy]

Flash Mobs.............

I thought this was about "flashing".................

OH.

Nevermind then.

Sounds like good clean fun..........

[Spruce]

Someday, something bad is going to be caused by these stupid lemmings.

[AppyPappy]

A nation of sheep

[servids]

I've got an idea for a spontaneous mob. How about one that cleans up the NYC subway system everyday.

[zeromus]

What are you talking about. What can possibly be wrong with enjoying friends company by participating in a mutually embarassing bit of harmless stupidness, while at the same time having moral support in letting yourself loose and just being a kid for a few minutes in a way you wouldnt be able to justify doing yourself.

[zeromus]

Not to mention it being a highly innovative form of performance art for the organizers.

[Republicus2001]

wasn't there a wonderful prankster a number of years ago that argued against indecency by nude dogs and started a campaign to put diapers on all dogs in NYC?

[petuniasevan]

Flash mobbing???

That's SOOO 2:09 p.m!

[weegee]

Establishing the network for "spontaneous" outraged mobs.

Expect more "Miami election 2000" type protests. Expect more "grass roots antiwar" protests.

The anarachist-socialists are just running trial tests.

[Chad Fairbanks]

I don't see the rpoblem with this, unless it begins to actually interfere with, or causes harm, to others... If adults wanna get together and play "DUCK DUCK GOOSE", then more power to them...

Sometimes, one just has to kick off their shoes and go play in the mud... :0)

[LTCJ]

Sure. It's all fun and games 'til someone puts out an eye.
Then the attorneys mob and pretty soon you've got a Bar Association on your hands.

[weegee]

That was Alan Abel (not sure that I spelled his name right). The society for clothing animals was around 1970. He later held a wedding for Idi Amin in NYC and even later had one of his students/understudies go to the press with a "winning" lottery ticket.

Alan is a different sort of animal than these kooks. Alan was a prankster and tried to see what the media would buy (with little if any backround checks). I think he wrote a couple of books.

[Republicus2001]

i'll google alan abel and see wots up