Cloudflare is turning off the internet for me (blog.dijit.sh)

Article summary

The author of the article experienced issues with accessing various websites due to being blocked by Cloudflare, a security service used by many websites. The author initially thought it was due to having JavaScript disabled, but later discovered that a custom user agent string was the cause of the problem. The issue was resolved after the author changed their user agent string. The article highlights the potential drawbacks of relying on centralized security services like Cloudflare.

Main themes

• Cloudflare security settings
• email obfuscation
• censorship and free speech
• centralized power and control
• security vs usability
• spam prevention
• abuse of power
• morality of Cloudflare's actions

What commenters say

• Cloudflare's security settings can be overly restrictive and block legitimate users, highlighting the need for more nuanced security measures.
• The use of email obfuscation by Cloudflare is ineffective against determined spammers and can cause issues for legitimate users.
• Some commenters argue that Cloudflare's actions, such as shutting down service to certain websites, constitute censorship and an abuse of power.
• Others argue that Cloudflare has the right to choose which websites to serve and that their actions are necessary to prevent harm.
• The discussion also touches on the idea that Cloudflare's protections are easily circumvented by bad actors, rendering them ineffective.
• There is a debate about the morality of Cloudflare's actions, with some arguing that they have a moral obligation to provide service to all websites, regardless of content.
• The issue of centralized power and control is also raised, with some arguing that Cloudflare's dominance in the market gives them too much power to shape the internet.
• Some commenters suggest that the email system itself is the problem and that Cloudflare's obfuscation is just a band-aid solution.