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FCC Website Crashes Under Load of Neutrality Commenters

The FCC's website crashed rather hard yesterday, likely after the agency was overwhelmed with users commenting on the agency's net neutrality proceeding (which you yourself can do here if you haven't done so yet). Many wondered if John Oliver's popular rant about cable companies and neutrality was to blame for the crash, though Reddit appears to be driving an ocean of annoyed traffic the FCC's direction this week as well.

Searching through the tens of thousands of filed comments here (proceeding 14-28), most are urging the agency to reclassify ISPs as utilities under Title II of the Communications Act, something agency boss Wheeler continues to insist is an option that's still on the table. While quantity isn't an issue with the comments quality may be; Oliver's tirade urged the trolls of the Internet to descend on the FCC and flood the FCC with their thoughts.

"This is the moment you were made for," Oliver said in his rant. "We need you to get out there and for once in your lives focus your indiscriminate rage in a useful direction. Seize your moment, my lovely trolls. Turn on caps lock and fly, my pretties."

The FCC's comment system appears to have recovered today. Users can also share their thoughts on neutrality via openinternet@fcc.gov, and have them automatically added to the FCC proceeding.


Most recommended from 42 comments



newview
Ex .. Ex .. Exactly
Premium Member
join:2001-10-01
Parsonsburg, MD

3 recommendations

newview

Premium Member

Kill two birds ...

While you're filing your comments on Proceeding 14-28 "Protecting and Promoting the Open Internet" (which, by the way ... does neither) you may also want to file your comments on Proceeding 14-57 "Applications of Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable Inc. for Consent to Assign or Transfer Control of Licenses and Applications" ... the Comcast / Time Warner Cable Mafia Merger.