An update on Wayback Machine access(blog.archive.org)
553 points by ChrisArchitect 17 hours ago | 279 comments
tl;dr: The Internet Archive's Wayback Machine has been hit with waves of high-volume automated traffic, prompting rate-limiting protections that sometimes block legitimate users with 429 errors. The team rewrote the block message and is working to better distinguish abusive bots from real users. Users blocked in error can email info@archive.org with their OS, browser, and IP for review.
HN Discussion:
  • Scrapers bypassing site blocks by hitting Wayback Machine are the appalling culprits behind the load
  • Praise and gratitude for the Internet Archive's mission, with calls to donate
  • ~Rate-limiting is too aggressive, blocking legitimate users even with minimal interaction
  • Skepticism that this is really bots; suspects manufactured consent for a walled-garden internet
  • AI arms race is causing collateral damage to free resources, needs regulation