El Barto

You damn right know exactly what I’m referring to.

Oracle??!!

By the way, Mullvad rocks!

I completely understand your position and yes, organizations blocking VPN traffic is some major bullshit.

Like apps that ask for your location when they can perfectly function without it. Don’t provide me with a “Never ask me again” checkbox? Fine, I’ll play this game every time. Stop working because now you demand location? A stupid game app? Uninstalled.

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 because they don’t want to, period. “It is not ethical that you forbid me from exercising 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.

This article won’t win over any converts with that snark at the end of it.

“Have fun filling out those accident reports”

What a stupid thing to write. I’ve been driving for 20+ years and I’ve never been in an accident. So why write that stupidity of a sentence?

It’s like saying to a 30+ year old reader: “Here’s a better way to tie your shoes. Oh, you won’t do that? Have fun falling down and breaking your nose every year!”

Sure, but not to the point in which it’s a constant stress.

We’ve already established that. But that method will shorten the life of the plant (and human.)

You’re right, I should have written “No, it isn’t.” Fixed.

So, no, it isn’t the response the author was looking for.

Weird to hear of people who has never heard of BoingBoing.

Is it about people eating light?

Bacteria already release stress chemicals when their food is lacking, so…

No, it doesn’t.

No, it isn’t.

It could be. Although we don’t know how much those sounds indicate distress, and perhaps watering should happen much sooner.

Imagine if aliens abduct you and give you food only when your stomach makes the kind of noise it makes after three days without eating anything, because “that’s all they can detect.”

That idea is mentioned in the article, yes.

Edit: apologies. The OP has already pointed this out.