Proxy Websites
From LoveToKnow Web-Design
Proxy websites are used to preserve the free flow of information on the Internet. Ironically, they are simply modified versions of the proxy servers that many organizations - from schools to governments – use to try to control, censor, or monitor web usage.
The Purpose of Proxy Websites
Proxy websites exist simply because some people believe that access to information – any information – should be private, and at the same time openly accessible. Many businesses set up proxy servers to block certain websites that are considered unsafe for a work environment, and others will even use these servers to monitor what the employees are doing during the day.
Other examples of proxy servers are "caching" servers, which basically download large portions of the Internet every day in order to speed up the download process for people using their connection. Even these servers are a bit like big brother, since they log the IP address of every user who makes a request for a page. This kind of logging is very useful for site owners who can determine the popularity of a web page based on how many unique visitors it has, and how many come back.
However, not everyone wants their IP address logged – they just want to look and not have a record of their visit stored anywhere. That's where proxy websites come in. When using a proxy website that acts as sort of a "browser within a browser," you are using an encrypted connection to the web, which "anonymizes" the computer user and prevents the IP address from being recorded. It also keeps the website from being recorded as well, providing privacy.
In addition, since the user is "tunneling" through the server, any other proxies such as a web filter keeping out "bad" sites are bypassed. A common use of this tactic is by students who want to get around their high school filters so they can visit their MySpace or Facebook pages. A more socially apt use is by political dissidents who use proxy servers to make contact with the outside world in spite of the Internet restrictions of their repressive governments. "Proxify (a proxy website) gives liberty to people living under restrictive governments and regimes by thwarting that surveillance with strong security," says a user of the popular service, who understandably prefers to remain anonymous.
The Game of Finding a Proxy
While there isn't really much a service provider can do to stop the mechanism of a CGI proxy (webmasters also use PHP to create proxy websites), they can block traffic to the proxy servers themselves whenever they are discovered. However, it is much like trying to fight a hydra; every time a particular site is blocked, hackers come up with a new site (or whole group of sites) that have new proxy gateways available. Some sites such as StupidCensorship offer not only a proxy website, but also a mailing list that will notify people of new proxy servers as they are created. Known as "circumventor" websites, these are such a problem for the people who would like to control web access that entire companies known as "blocking services" are devoted solely to finding and blocking proxies. By their nature, they are always a step behind, and the fact is there has never been a truly effective way to control access to information. The creators of the Internet envisioned the free flow of information, and while everyone from the school librarian to the CEO of AOL.com have tried to control it, people still find a way to access the information they want.
Part of the difficulty is that finding a proxy site is as easy as Googling "proxy websites." Sites such as the proxy list on Tech-Faq keep a constantly-updated list of new proxy sites, and while many may be blocked, the odds are good that not all of them are (that particular site has over 200 pages with about 25 proxies listed on every page).
If surfing the web anonymously is your goal, a proxy website can protect you, but remember that any passwords or other private information will still be logged by the proxy website. It is best to be careful and use known and verified proxies, and avoid the scammers and phishers that can use that information maliciously.
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This page has been accessed 666 times. This page was last modified 19:06, 8 May 2009.
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