WikiLeaks, what for art thou purpose?

They bragged, they threatened, and they conquered.

In the span of a month, WikiLeaks, a once-obscure community of busy-bodies dedicated to unearthing the most secretive of information for the public's consumption, made good on their threat to release on the web the biggest information leak in history.

The world woke up one morning to find hundreds of thousands of US military and diplomatic cables accessible with just a click away. Even as armies of analysts and journalists sieved through the pile for nuggets of gold - some entertaining, some shocking, most of them boring enough to warrant a yawn -, the damage was only just beginning.

Embarrassing revelations were revealed by many of the world's press, implicating hundreds of diplomats and officials (including Singapore) on thoughts that should stay private. It is not clear how these revelations could affect certain sensitive bilateral ties, but the coming months promise more leaks and more bad news.

And the world lapped it all up. While digesting press reports on the leaks, they also saw the world's superpower - led by its mighty Justice and State departments - doing almost everything they could to stop the leaks, and failing miserably at it.

It is almost amazing to see how a handful of geeks and self-proclaimed analysts can hold the US hostage to its actions, embarrass it dearly, and yet live to fight another day. The last time I checked, Wikileaks have shifted their domain to another server in the ongoing cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.

Sure, the Wikileak reports make for interesting meal-time discussions and before-bed-time laughs. But the deeper question remains: How is Wikileaks potentially benefitting the world by releasing all these cables? How is the average Joe's quality of life going to improve?

By putting the reputation (and even the lives) of thousands at risk, all in the name of the public's right to know, Wikileaks has exposed itself as an irresponsible mischief-maker, perhaps hungry only for the fame and fortune. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange just might get his million-dollar book deal but looking at the list of potential charges against him, he would have to write his book behind bars.

This whole episode however serves to highlight the disproportionate power that organisations or even individuals can have over whole governments. The web has also proven to be one of the cornerstones of asymmetric warfare in the 21st Century, and the potential for more mischief is almost unlimited.

But this is another stark reminder that Governments can't win all the time, and sometimes the best way out is to manage a defeat honourably.