They get shit on a lot here. Why? What do they do and how is that different from other companies that offer similar services?

What I know of them: they offer DDS brute force/spam protection for websites.

  • Ada
    1•5 months ago

    I don’t think you’re confused. I think you have different expectations than me.

    You value an ideal of free speech that in my mind doesn’t exist, and you think the harm that can be done in trying to attain it is not the biggest issue.

    I see it that other way around. I think that private monopolies actively protecting platforms used to spread hate is a bigger issue, because it’s causing real world harm right here and now.

      • Ada
        1•5 months ago

        Exactly. There is no such thing as complete free speech. Every implementation of free speech is speech with limits influenced by societal norms. So in my mind, arguing for an ideal that doesn’t and never will exist is a pretty poor reason to sustain harm to vulnerable folk.

          • Ada
            1•5 months ago

            I don’t consider complete free speech to be perfection.

            I’d prefer a world in which we protect the vulnerable rather than protecting the folk who are trying to hurt the vulnerable

              • Ada
                1•5 months ago

                No, I think the thing that you’re calling free speech isn’t free speech at all because there is no such thing implemented anywhere that works. A genuine implementation of it would be explicitly more harmful than helpful.

                What we have is speech restricted by the norms of our societies. All you’re arguing for is shifting the line to a different (more harmful) place, in the name of hypothetical ideal

                And what we have with CloudFlare is a private entity that is virtually a monopoly, sustaining literal hate speech despite the harm hate speech does and doing so for the same reasons you’re here defending them. Because you value chasing an ideal that doesn’t exist over the needs of real people.

                It’s also interesting that you conflate “anything to the right of Sanders” with Nazis and other hate groups. The fact that you’re painting my issue with the latter as being equivalent is cheap.

                I don’t give a fuck whether you agree with me. I answered the OPs question. You’re not going to magically convince me that actually, hate speech is ok sometimes and should be protected.