Is Anonymous making empty threats to (briefly) kill the Internet?

Shutting down the DNS servers would have so negative an effect on the Internet, its users and the economy (not to mention Anonymous' reputation) that the actual operation would not be launched except when the need was dire, according to the video.

The shorthand for that is probably that Anonymous as a whole, or even a majority of its factions, wouldn't cooperate with the effort, probably for the reasons cited in the video.

If it is a false flag operation launched by intelligence or law-enforcement agencies against Anonymous, it's a good one. It uses a tactic likely to be very effective undermining the credibility of Anonymous and trivializing its genuine capabilities.

Is it still possible Anonymous will attack the root DNS servers March 31 in an effort to shut down the Internet for 72 hours?

Yes.

Is it likely to succeed?

No.

Is it likely to even happen?

No.

Anonymi, some among you are crying Wolf! a little too often. It hurts your credibility and enhances that of the agencies that call you irresponsible, capricious and disorganized.

I realize those are your cardinal virtues and how much you value them.

And I'm not encouraging anyone to attack critical parts of the Internet.

But frequent, empty threats don't do any faction in a dispute any good. They raise tensions and lower the likelihood anyone will believe the things you say you believe or the things you promise you could do.