Verizon Wireless Blocks 4chan; You Would Think It Would Remember What Happened When AT&T Did That

from the not-wise dept

Mon, Feb 8th 2010 1:04pm — Mike Masnick

Last summer, due to a DDOS attack emanating from IP addresses connected to 4chan, AT&T temporarily blocked access to 4chan... without giving a full explanation for why. If you know 4chan, you know why this is a bad idea. It took very little time for the 4chan community to retaliate (and, as you know, no one "retaliates" like 4chan "retaliates"), and only a few days later, when AT&T explained what happened, did 4chan back off. So, now comes the news this weekend that Verizon Wireless is blocking 4chan (this is just Verizon Wireless, not Verizon), and the company seems to be making the same mistake. No clear explanation of why. I'm sure there's a reason that Verizon Wireless can give, but not explaining that immediately seems like a huge mistake. Update: Not surprising, but looks like the same reasoning as AT&T's temporary block last year. Still doesn't explain why the company wasn't upfront in explaining it.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

Filed Under: 4chan, blocking, explanations
Companies: 4chan, at&t, verizon wireless

28 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

aguywhoneedstenbucks (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 12:46pm

Why Verizon did it
For the lulz.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:19pm
  
  Re: Why Verizon did it
  Successful troll is very successful.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:23pm
    
    Re: Re: Why Verizon did it
    Longcat is loooooooooong!
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- ChurchHatesTucker (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:31pm
  
  Re: Why Verizon did it
  Seems to me that it would be a great way to seriously stress test your web presence. When you're done, restore connectivity and mumble about tech difficulties.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Chill, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:18pm

I for one support our new ISP overlord.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 3:47pm
  
  Re:
  Keep slashdot memes on slashdot. Thank you
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:02pm
    
    Re: Re:
    This meme is older than Slashdot.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - some old guy, 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:08pm
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      This meme is older than Slashdot.
      Wrong. The quote is older. It's (over)use as a meme is not.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 9 Feb 2010 @ 3:04pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re:
        > Wrong. The quote is older. It's (over)use as a meme is not.
        
        FWIW, I remember it from Usenet.
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
scarr (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:29pm

I assume Verizon is doing it because they want to demonstrate the strength of their network. What better way to stress test than blocking 4chan?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Dark Helmet (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:34pm
  
  Re:
  "I assume Verizon is doing it because they want to demonstrate the strength of their network. What better way to stress test than blocking 4chan?"
  
  Er, how about in some way that doesn't virtually guarantee that you're going to get your digital ass handed to you?
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - HolaJohnny (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:40pm
    
    Re: Re:
    I know a bit about 4Chan in passing but not much anyone care to fill in some details as to what kind of ass whipping 4Chan tends to hand out to companies that draw their ire?
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Kerwin, 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:55pm
      
      Re: Re: Re: Re:
      Explaining 4chan is like explaining salt to someone who has never had it. 4chan is basically where everything terrible that has ever happened, started, including the original holocaust and super aids.
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
      - Anonymous Coward, 9 Feb 2010 @ 12:26pm
        
        Re: Re: Re: Re: Re:
        lolcats ccameform 4chan i demand u take back that statment
        and it also seems to be the frist line of defence from people blocking websites
        [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Cynyr (profile), 9 Feb 2010 @ 8:27am
      
      Re: Re: Re:
      They manipulated a Time Magazine(i think) online poll to spell something out with the first letters of the names. See the previous ATT problems. Basicly it's a group of people where a few seem to have some skills and then a large amount of man hours to devote to "projects"
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 7:46pm
  
  Re:
  They will only have real power when they can block everyone except for there customers from 4chan.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:38pm

Rules of the internets
5. Anonymous never forgives!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The Mighty Buzzard, 8 Feb 2010 @ 2:28pm

Real Reason
They're just crowdsourcing their network infrastructure load testing.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- scarr (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 2:49pm
  
  Re: Real Reason
  You phrased that much better than I. *tips hat*
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Bnsofts, 8 Feb 2010 @ 3:04pm

Way to go verizon, you just pissed off the wrong people.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
another mike (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:27pm

nice one vzw
I was wondering why my droid was running a bit slow earlier.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:55pm

4Chan
4Chan has been neutered in the last few years. At one time it was a bunch of sick and twisted people who could really do some serious damage. It has turned into a bunch of camwhores and whiners who can barely manage to run a script.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- Tom Landry (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 5:56pm
  
  Re: 4Chan
  I find quite a bit of irony in the fact that you chose to post that as an anon.....
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - HolaJohnny (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 8:42pm
    
    Re: Re: 4Chan
    Thank you for the effort and I agree with you about the anon post... Though I'm feeling a bit neglected by our D. Helmet I made a poor assumption that he would be all over this like awesomeness in Mel Brook's films.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
    - Dark Helmet (profile), 9 Feb 2010 @ 6:42am
      
      Re: Re: Re: 4Chan
      Sorry, Hola, I'm busy dealing with a sick dog and the kind of blizzard here in Chicago that is actually not overhyped for once. Start with the brief media attention history below, though this only represents the tip of the iceberg:
      
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan#Media_attention
      
      Back to shoveling my way out of my condo....
      [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 9:49pm
    
    Re: Re: 4Chan
    That's my real name. Anonymous "David" Coward.
    
    I miss the days of the sick and twisted people.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 9 Feb 2010 @ 2:48am

I'm afraid I have no frame of reference. Do you mean Dennis Strigl who now claims to have negotiated iPhone to Verizon a few times?

Listen Steve P. J,
The whole industry lives in a fucking cul-de-sac. You can't tell anything to one and think it will be kept secret.

MISTER Steven P Jobs:
Best for you to have a secret ballot the day before your announcement. You need to ask what the company can provide as far as customer service, rate plans, and retention.

Value each as their own and then announce it the day you power up your Keynote.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ZE-SPY, 9 Feb 2010 @ 5:33pm

Verizon...
Verizon, I am dissapoint.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]