4 ms·

A utility is typically a natural monopoly providing some sort of essential service. Cloudflare is neither.

busymom0 7y ago
Telecom companies like AT&T aren't providing "essential service". Being able to call/text someone is not a "essential service". Yet they are not supposed to ban people because they are merely the carrier.
- mikeash 7y ago
  Being able to call people is pretty essential in the modern world. That’s why these laws exist and why governments have put so much effort into making these services available to everyone. The phone company is required to serve you even if they disagree with you not because of some high-minded ideas about free speech, but because it’s considered really important for people to have phone service.
- ggggtez 7y ago
  Why are you talking about telecoms. Cloud Flare is not a telecom. Were you under a rock during Net Neutrality? Don't you realize you are saying nonsense?
- 2bitencryption 7y ago
  > Telecom companies like AT&T aren't providing "essential service". ...according to Title II, yes, they absolutely are. https://newnetworks.com/titleii/ https://newnetworks.com/titleii/
  - snowwrestler 7y ago
    The FCC just ruled that Internet service is not a Title II service.
    - orpheline 7y ago
      It's not Internet service that's essential: it's phone service - the ability to make emergency phone calls.
sytelus 7y ago
What happens if all other providers refuse you as well on same basis? What if Comcast refuse you to provide any internet service because they don't like your views on net neutrality?
- King-Aaron 7y ago
  I guess then you'd have to reflect on the kind of content you're promoting if the entire internet hates you for it.
  - jquery 7y ago
    A few key decision makers in key roles in IT infrastructure do not represent the entire internet.
    - anigbrowl 7y ago
      If you can't get anyone to host your content that's a big enough sample for me.
      - sytelus 7y ago
        You obviously haven't seen group-think in action.
- mikeash 7y ago
  Cloudflare isn’t an ISP so “all other providers” doesn’t make sense, and Comcast isn’t a competitor.
- kelnos 7y ago
  In my personal opinion, the size of "all others" matters. If you have a monopolistic ISP that refuses to provide service to you because they don't like your content, and they're your only option, then that's a problem. If you have multiple tens of CDN providers and they all don't want to carry your content, then perhaps you should really take a look at your content and have a hard think about why it isn't wanted. And regardless, a CDN isn't necessary to host a website. A CDN certainly makes it easier to achieve lower-latency global reach, and is useful in helping you weather certain types of attacks on your infrastructure, but they're by no means required. And there are other ways to achieve those goals.

Telecom companies like AT&T aren't providing "essential service". Being able to call/text someone is not a "essential service". Yet they are not supposed to ban people because they are merely the carrier.

mikeash 7y ago
Being able to call people is pretty essential in the modern world. That’s why these laws exist and why governments have put so much effort into making these services available to everyone. The phone company is required to serve you even if they disagree with you not because of some high-minded ideas about free speech, but because it’s considered really important for people to have phone service.
ggggtez 7y ago
Why are you talking about telecoms. Cloud Flare is not a telecom. Were you under a rock during Net Neutrality? Don't you realize you are saying nonsense?
2bitencryption 7y ago
> Telecom companies like AT&T aren't providing "essential service". ...according to Title II, yes, they absolutely are. https://newnetworks.com/titleii/ https://newnetworks.com/titleii/
- snowwrestler 7y ago
  The FCC just ruled that Internet service is not a Title II service.
  - orpheline 7y ago
    It's not Internet service that's essential: it's phone service - the ability to make emergency phone calls.

sytelus 7y ago

What happens if all other providers refuse you as well on same basis? What if Comcast refuse you to provide any internet service because they don't like your views on net neutrality?

King-Aaron 7y ago
I guess then you'd have to reflect on the kind of content you're promoting if the entire internet hates you for it.
- jquery 7y ago
  A few key decision makers in key roles in IT infrastructure do not represent the entire internet.
  - anigbrowl 7y ago
    If you can't get anyone to host your content that's a big enough sample for me.
    - sytelus 7y ago
      You obviously haven't seen group-think in action.
mikeash 7y ago
Cloudflare isn’t an ISP so “all other providers” doesn’t make sense, and Comcast isn’t a competitor.
kelnos 7y ago
In my personal opinion, the size of "all others" matters. If you have a monopolistic ISP that refuses to provide service to you because they don't like your content, and they're your only option, then that's a problem. If you have multiple tens of CDN providers and they all don't want to carry your content, then perhaps you should really take a look at your content and have a hard think about why it isn't wanted. And regardless, a CDN isn't necessary to host a website. A CDN certainly makes it easier to achieve lower-latency global reach, and is useful in helping you weather certain types of attacks on your infrastructure, but they're by no means required. And there are other ways to achieve those goals.