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A comment on Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers. Parent comment

Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by baq on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @02:36PM (#44447286)
valid.

...but OTOH it's their customers who want all of that and pay to get that, because the alternative is worse.

rock and a hard place.

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by slenk on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @03:06PM (#44447590)
Right - do I want them getting some info from me, or do I want my IP address exposed?

Besides CloudFront, which still costs money, what other option is there for semi-privacy and caching for free?

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by mattl on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @04:10PM (#44448262)
bunny.net has some options
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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by slenk on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @04:32PM (#44448504)
I will have to check them out I guess
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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by aorth on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @04:28PM (#44448454)
As the old addage goes: If you're not paying for it, you're the product.

Lots of nuance, but generally: pay for things you use. Servers, engineers, and research and development are not free, so someone has to pay.

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by qualeed on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @04:46PM (#44448646)
Lots of services don't even let me pay if I wanted to, so I am forced to be the product. (Donating typically does not un-productify myself).

Or I pay and am still the product. Just with less in-my-face ads.

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by aorth on Thursday July 03, 2025 @02:57AM (#44452379)
> Or I pay and am still the product. Just with less in-my-face ads.

Yes, this is enshittification. You pay for Amazon something or other, and they STILL show you ads. Horrible.

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by slenk on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @08:45PM (#44450428)
fwiw, I have been convinced to look at other options
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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by matt-p on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @04:59PM (#44448759)
Cloud front is pretty much free for your first TB. Fastly has a free plan.

Though why should it be for free?

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by slenk on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @05:11PM (#44448877)
Multiple people have brought that up. I pay for everything else, why not one more.

Although bunny.net won't take ANY of my credit or debit cards

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Re:Cloudflare Introduces Default Blocking of A.I. Data Scrapers by MisterTea on Wednesday July 02, 2025 @04:49PM (#44448668)
I want to know if there is a way to design an alternative that isn't controlled by a single entity which allows gatekeeping.
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