In just the last few hours, it seems that AT&T has gone looking for trouble in the one place it is guaranteed to find it. Reports are coming in from all over that the communications giant is blocking access to 4chan, specifically the /b/ board. Discussions are here and here.
I've never been to /b/, but I've benefited from some of the funny stuff they come up with. I'm well aware of its reputation as the cesspool of the internet. You don't have to be a member or a fan to pull for its continued existence as a matter of free speech.
But the real fireworks are yet to come. On the one hand, there's AT&T, which owns iPhone service and just about all the phone line hardware in the US. About 15% of US users rely on AT&T for internet access. Factor in the company's history, political pull, and sheer size, and it seems invincible. On the other hand, 4chan has a shitload of members, including anonymous investigators, organizers, and hackers, with a track record of causing mayhem for anyone who crosses them. Just ask Oprah.
Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.
Stumble This
Reddit!
I frequent 4chan. It does produce some damn fine stuff. But it also produces some terrible, fucked up shit. I can understand where AT&T comes from, but they are in for a shit storm and a half.
Whoa! Not cool ATT. (If this is true. I use comcast got there fine..)
YBNBY could be next. Remind me never to use ATT again. Shame on them.
I was just doing my *due diligence* checking out 4chan. This seems to be representative of the random board:
Fagfag here: tells me how I come out to my parents
Anonymous: Attempt to go down on your father. In front of your mother.
That'll give them both the idea.
Anonymous: bring home a male prostitute, and fuck him right in front of them.
Anonymous: Install Microsoft software.
For the record, I use MS software cause it's what they use at work h8ter!
On one of the forums there, 4chan also posts child pornography.
If you use the Googles and put in "stickam 4chan rapidshare", you'll find many many many threads there just loaded with underage girls who masturbate/kiss each other/dance in their underwear or nude/etc. in front of the ol' Stickam and then the video capture gets posted there.
AT&T understands and supports the douchebag in all it's filthy forms (not unlike many of the sites I inhabit), but letting child porn legitimately be posted with no brakes?
I think not.
what is the /b/ board about?
/b/ is the random board. Its where the rules of the rest of the forum dont reply (well most of them)
Frequent topics include, serious racism (they like to gather other /b/ members and harass black users of blogtv or tinychat)
incest (which is referred to as wincest)
pretty much anything that isnt tolerated anywhere else...
child porn used to be a fairly common topic, but is rarely seen anymore and when it is its removed very quickly.
All that said, I do not use /b/ often. Generally when I get home from a drunken night out I will go troll them for a while. Do it maybe once a month? Some of my friends are confirmed /b/tards though, and it makes me sad that because of such a tiny part of /b/ the whole thing is being restricted.