One of the major reactions to the Boston Marathon Bombing occurred on the Internet. Social media was particularly rife with speculation about who the perpetrators of the attack were and why they had committed these acts. One of the biggest specters that has loomed over the social media landscape in recent years is the group called “Anonymous.” Although the social media reaction to the Boston attacks may have nothing to do with "Anonymous" and was instead a spontaneous reaction to the event, it could still be useful to consider this group of Internet users as a model about how social media participants might behave. . “Anonymous” is known to be an informal association of unidentified individuals who use Internet technology to carry out web hacks in the name of protest. According to Gabriella Coleman (2012), “Anonymous” began on the Internet forum 4chan and grew. of culture on this site (paragraph 1). 4chan (nd) describes itself as “...[A] simple image-based message board where anyone can post comments and share images.” (Section What is 4chan?, paragraph 1) The site notes that the name "Anonymous" comes from the nickname used to identify posters who have not chosen to register an identity for posts on the site (section Who is “Anonymous”?), paragraph 1).Anonymous has no formal structure or organization. In his article “Is it OK to be anonymous?” » Phillip Serracino-Inglott (2013) explores the organization of Anonymous. It claims its "members" are made up of a heterogeneous mix of hackers, activists and troublemakers. All of these members vary greatly in terms of their level of expertise and experience. Participation in Anonymous activities even varies considerably, with some participating deeply in activities, while others only lend a hand...... middle of paper ...... at the Boston bombings, there was a case of vigilance on the Internet. for debate, and it is unlikely that Anonymous itself was very involved in the social media reaction to the bombings. According to Phillip Serracino-Inglott (2013), “Anonymous are indeed vigilantes” (p. 138). While vigilantism may not be part of the social media response to the Boston attacks, Anonymous is worth mentioning as a demonstration of how vigilantes can behave on the Internet. They show how the Internet allows unrelated people to unite in the face of major events. According to Serracio-Inglott (2013), anonymous users use, and perhaps are even influenced by, the different technologies they employ for their activities (p.228). Their participation in major political events makes them a notable factor in studying the Internet's reaction to such events...