AT&T Blocking Access to Portions of 4chan

[Quailboy]

AT&T Blocking Access to Portions of 4chan (Updated) | CentralGadget.com

AT&T today appears to have begun blocking access to parts of the internet site 4chan.

CentralGadget.com has confirmed the block, which is affecting all AT&T DSL and AT&T U-Verse customers at this time. The block is affecting the server that /b/ resides on, img.4chan.org. No other 4chan servers are affected.

In addition, no other internet connections appear to be having an issue accessing 4chan. This appears to negate any other possibility, that the access issue is due to some server or backbone failure or DNS update. If such issues were the culprit, it would be almost impossible for only AT&T customers to be having an issue, and AT&T customers would likely be unable to access any of 4chan, not specifically its most popular board.

CentralGadget.com has been unable to to get anyone at AT&T to confirm the blockade. Other unconfirmed reports have been relayed from AT&T’s highest, levels of support. These reports claim that /b/ had been blocked due to costly DDOS attacks, stemming from AT&T customers. We have been unable to confirm this.

Under the FCC’s Comcast/BitTorrent ruling, Internet Service Providers may only slow or cap connection speeds. They are not allowed to block any service or protocol on the internet. Here, 4chan as a web site appears to fall under an internet service, but it is also conforming to standard web page protocols. It appears AT&T does not have the legal right to block 4chan, only to cap customers who are “abusing” their access to the internet.

4chan’s founder, moot, has been voted one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people, initially via an online poll, and then inducted into the list by Time’s editorial staff. The site is considered one of the most bandwidth-consuming non-video web sites online.

CentralGadget.com encourages all AT&T customers who are unable to access 4chan.org /b/ or /r2k/ sections (and there’s an easy test), to call AT&T and escalate as high as possible. Spend as much time on your speakerphone as possible… only complaining will show AT&T that it is more costly to block a site, than to mitigate the infrastructure of the web.

Both DSL and U-Verse customers can reach AT&T Support by calling 1-800-288-2020. We suggest escalating the matter at least to Tier 2 support.

Internet Censorship at its finest?

AT&T Has blocked off, 15% of the US's internet population from The 4chan /b/ forum. What kind of madness will come because of this?

[MMM]

What does this mean?

[Quailboy]

Originally Posted by MMM

What does this mean?

It means that most AT&T users are completely blocked off of the img.4chan.org server. AT&T has admitted that it is there doing and is not an issue with the user..

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Quailboy

It means that most AT&T users are completely blocked off of the img.4chan.org server. AT&T has admitted that it is there doing and is not an issue with the user..

Let's pretend I am not an expert on 4chan. Why would AT&T want to do something like this, unless there is some sort of threat to them from the areas blocked?

[alanX]

Please pardon my french, but.... WTF IS 4CHAN?

I just went to it...

And I still have no clue what it is.

[Quailboy]

Originally Posted by MMM

Let's pretend I am not an expert on 4chan. Why would AT&T want to do something like this, unless there is some sort of threat to them from the areas blocked?

There is no reason for it that we know of, sure the place has its share of nasty things on it, a lot of sites do, some are even worse than 4chan. But there are also some serious and noteworthy convos going on.

There is no threat to AT&T at 4chan..well, there wasn't anyways, I'm sure they are having a hell of a week now -_-

Originally Posted by alanX

Please pardon my french, but.... WTF IS 4CHAN?

I just went to it...

And I still have no clue what it is.

Its a very popular img board and forum, the main one is "random" and is primarely what AT&T blocked, along with a few other various sections.

[alanX]

Is there a search feature? I see none. Nor do I see a register button. Seems pretty useless to me.


Nope....wait... just saw some breasts. New homepage.

[Quailboy]

Originally Posted by alanX

Is there a search feature? I see none. Nor do I see a register button. Seems pretty useless to me.


Nope....wait... just saw some breasts. New homepage.

"4chan users have been responsible for the formation and/or popularization of Internet memes such as lolcats, Rickrolling, and "Chocolate Rain". The site's random board is by far its most popular and notorious. Known as "/b/", there are very minimal rules on posted content. Gawker.com once claimed in jest that "reading /b/ will melt your brain".[2]"

"4chan is an English-language imageboard website. Launched on October 1, 2003, its boards are primarily used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime. Users generally post anonymously and the site has been linked to internet subcultures and activism, most notably Project Chanology."

You dont register, you post as Anon

[alanX]

Originally Posted by Quailboy

"4chan users have been responsible for the formation and/or popularization of Internet memes such as lolcats, Rickrolling, and "Chocolate Rain". The site's random board is by far its most popular and notorious. Known as "/b/", there are very minimal rules on posted content. Gawker.com once claimed in jest that "reading /b/ will melt your brain".[2]"

"4chan is an English-language imageboard website. Launched on October 1, 2003, its boards are primarily used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime. Users generally post anonymously and the site has been linked to internet subcultures and activism, most notably Project Chanology."

You dont register, you post as Anon

Still seems pretty confusing...
So is there no search feature?

[MMM]

Well, obviously they didn't do it for no reason. ISPs are companies with competition. If they start limiting access like a Third World country's government, people will move to other options.

Where I live The Dish Network couldn't agree on a contract with ABC, so people with The Dish Network now do not have ABC. What happens? People dump The Dish and start getting cable.

When you are an ISP you are not in the business of blocking information, so, again, there must be a serious reason why they would do something like this.