This picture is making the rounds on Facebook, but I'm not really a fan. The information Assange shared was gathered under conditions that it wouldn't be distributed. The information you put on Facebook is given under terms of use that are much more open. This picture ignores the role of the individual - you don't have to use Facebook.
Is Assange good? I'd say its a mixed bag. Wikileaks had a good thing going as a distribution mechanism to newspapers that would vet the content, but allowing the unencrypted files to get distributed (however much not intentioned) was damn foolish. Wikileaks is a target because it annoys powerful people, yes, but also because of Assange's style and ridiculousness. His goal is to remove privacy from deliberations behind closed doors - but we need those. Sunshine is a disinfectant, but it can also kill deals that need a little bit of time to grow.
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