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Comment by superkuh | Hacker News Reader

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What does a bare HTTP connection have to do with this link? The site uses HTTPS.

Other sites use HTTP, which their ISP MITMs, so the parent uses a VPN for all their connections. The VPN IP address is blocked for this link.

No, they use a proxy to a virtual private server. Depending on the nature of the proxy and exit node, it may have a uniquely bad reputation, or is collateral damage from other bad actors in that cloud service.

Here is the FCC Complaint Center: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/hc/en-us

It's hard to see a case to be made to block IPs with a "bad reputation" from accessing sites that are essentially text documents.

I can see that blocking IP ranges is part of a strategy to protect service signups, logins, or contact forms. But a gov agency publishing a piece of text? What's the risk that is mitigated by blocking IPs here?

They are hosting a lot of applications on various subdomains on fcc.gov. If they have tons of subdomains with login forms and services, and one without, why would they bother making special rules that should not affect typical usage for that one site?

being pedantic: all VPNs work that way

Why are you using http (non-s) in 2024?

No certificate expiration to deal with.

Also a good reason to use .onion.

Because concerning myself with security in this case is absurd.

The ubiquitous concern with security is absurd.

But the OP was concerned with security, namely that someone was intercepting his http connection and messing with it.

I was/am more concerned with functionality and the fact that what they're doing should be illegal. The Comcast MITM attack I experienced literally broke the functionality of the steam browser (~2015).

This decision ultimately belongs website owners. OP can unilaterally block connections to those sites, but this breaks/blocks those websites in a manner that is as bad as Comcast injecting ads.

comcast and other cable providers do not block as I just verified this with using xfinity comcast to access the site this morning with no VPS whatsoever.

They didn't say it did. They said they use a - blocked - VPN because of man in the middle antics by Xfinity.

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