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CDN Optimizing HTML On the Fly
Caerdwyn writes "Cotendo, which is a content distribution network, has taken to altering HTML as it passes through their CDN to optimize web pages for faster rendering. This is essentially a repackaging of the Apache mod mod_pagespeed (from Google), with the critical difference being that the rewriting of HTML occurs inline rather than at the web server. We all know that well-written HTML can result in much better rendering of whatever your content is; the questions are 'Will this automatic rewriting cause other problems, i.e. browser quirks?' and 'Assuming that only the web pages of Cotendo's customers are altered, are there nonetheless potential legal troubles with someone rewriting HTML before delivery to a browser?'"
https://code.google.com/speed/page-speed/docs/rules_intro.html
I think this link answers all your questions.
After a quick first glance, it seems like it isn't doing anything that a good web designer shouldn't have already have done. Then again, the percentage of well-designed pages out there mean this could still provide a speedup...
I must be new here...
What's the difference between me configuring my servers to optimize our sites on our front-end proxies, and having our CDN doing it on their front-end proxies?
I think you missed that this is a service Cotendo provides to its paying customers.
Now, if Cotendo was doing this without their customers' permission, then your objection might have some kind of relevance. I can't find anything to indicate that this is the case though, and it seems like a dumb and stupid business move if it is.
The new Page Speed service offered by Cotendo will be part of its proprietary new performance application platform Cloudlet(TM), which is able to execute both open source and any proprietary code. Cotendo's new platform is in production with select customers and partners, which will be announced soon.
This makes it sound like it may actually be optimising the output from applications running on their own servers, rather than as a proxy altering content sent from the customer's servers.