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.

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

28 Comments

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

Why Verizon did it
For the lulz.
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Chill, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:18pm

I for one support our new ISP overlord.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:19pm

Re: Why Verizon did it
Successful troll is very successful.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:23pm

Re: Re: Why Verizon did it
Longcat is loooooooooong!
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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?
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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.
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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?
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Anonymous, 8 Feb 2010 @ 1:38pm

Rules of the internets
5. Anonymous never forgives!
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The Mighty Buzzard, 8 Feb 2010 @ 2:28pm

Real Reason
They're just crowdsourcing their network infrastructure load testing.
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scarr (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 2:49pm

Re: Real Reason
You phrased that much better than I. *tips hat*
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Bnsofts, 8 Feb 2010 @ 3:04pm

Way to go verizon, you just pissed off the wrong people.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 3:47pm

Re:
Keep slashdot memes on slashdot. Thank you
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:02pm

Re: Re:
This meme is older than Slashdot.
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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.
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another mike (profile), 8 Feb 2010 @ 4:27pm

nice one vzw
I was wondering why my droid was running a bit slow earlier.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.....
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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....
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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"
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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
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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.
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ZE-SPY, 9 Feb 2010 @ 5:33pm

Verizon...
Verizon, I am dissapoint.
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