agnos.is Forums

Specifically blacklisting a group of users because of the technology they use is, by definition, “targeting”, right? I mean, if not, what qualifies as “targeting” for you?

You may be right. I guess it's a matter of semantics. But the way you described it sounded more nefarious. "I'll target this group of VPN users because fuck them, I hope they all die in a tsunami!!!!" when it's more like "ugh, another VPN bot. The 9th this hour and I'm hungry. You know what - I'll just block VPN altogether and go fix me a sandwich." Maybe that's just my perception.

But anyway - it's Joe Blogger's machine, at his home, for him to do whatever he likes. Some rando from the street knocks on the door and says "excuse me, do you mind if I send an e-mail from your computer?" Joe Blogger can perfectly say no, not even an excuse is owed.

You'd have a point if it was a business or a corporation. Some home machine? Out of billions? Why bother?

I guess we're two pedantic folks. I enjoy these discussions. I sometimes gain some new knowledge out of them.

I surely hope so.

You're putting words in my mouth. I didn't say that. Targeting sounds like specifically doing it with an agenda.

What you're saying the equivalent of being offended that you can't bring guns inside someone's private property. "It is not ethical that you forbid me to exercise my constitutional rights of bearing arms in your house. How dare you not allowing me to put my AK-47 in your kitchen counter!"

Nope. I said that if someone doesn't want to deal with VPN users because it's more hassle than worth (e.g. bots), then so be it. Joe Blogger may get 20 visitors a month instead of 24. Oh the horror!

I am a huge advocate of privacy laws. But if Joe Blogger doesn't allow me in his personal website, eh. I might try archive.org.

You chose to ignore OP's point.

let’s stop pretending the law actually matters for the people in power.

Doesn't Cloudflare cost money for DDoS protection?

You had me until the "ethically sound position" part.

You're saying that Joe Blogger is acting unethically because he doesn't allow VPN users to visit his site. C'mon, brother.

Well thanks. TIL.

Having said that, "mentioning" is not inventing.

It would be cool if we had fat burning pizza. There you have it. I mentioned it first, so I invented it.

New Zealand entomologist George Hudson first proposed modern DST.

Easy to google, bud. Also, the concept is ancient.