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Anonymity
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:50 am
by s.dot
For those paranoid freaks like myself, is there such a thing as complete anonymity on the internet? What programs can help me be anonymous? Browser mods? New browsers? Firewalls? I'm totally lost on the subject.
I just don't like going to those geoip tools and being able to pinpoint my exact city on a map. Moreso, I don't like the idea of others being able to pinpoint my city on a map. I like to do what I do from my house and be as anonymous as possible. I'm on the internet, not out in the real world trying to make a name for myself
Might sound a bit weird, but I guess im just a private person

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:09 am
by alex.barylski
Private person...yea right...
your downloading or carrying out activities which you don't want to be caught doing...aren't you...don't lie...I was young once too you know...I know these things...
Just kidding
There isn't much you can do to be totally anonymous...your IP address needs to be know to some degree or how would anything get back to you?
You can send requests totally ingonito, but what good is a request if you can see your results?
To prevent geoip, you could use a proxy server...
Search google for proxy server and find one located in Nunavut or TukTuyuckTuk...or somewhere away from you...set your browser to use the proxy and every request you make now will be routed through there...
Be aware of proxy terms...they might not like porn coming through their network...
In anycase, a proxy will hide your IP from web sites, but not from the proxy server...so if you do something really stupid and the website tracks your IP back to your proxy and the proxy has a record of the IP that used it and so on and so forth...they could potentially trace it back to you...
Nothing much more you can do I'm afraid...as your about as anonymous as your gonna get when browsing the web...an IP address doesn't say much...the best some geoip companies can do is narrow you down to a postal code/street/block but not your address, yet anyways...
Cheers

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:13 am
by s.dot
Nah, im not much for illegal activities

Just would like peace of mind knowing that if I <span style='color:blue' title='I'm naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> off someone, they're not going to come beating at my door

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:45 am
by alex.barylski
scottayy wrote:Nah, im not much for illegal activities

Just would like peace of mind knowing that if I <span style='color:blue' title='I'm naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> off someone, they're not going to come beating at my door

1) Find a proxy
2) Disable cookies and javascript
3) Disable image downloading, etc...
4) View web pages using Lynx and start swinging from trees with Roja and eating Banannas...
Bahahahahahha...
The last comment was a joke BTW

I'm only teasing...both of you!!!
Anyways, thats about all you can do short of unplugging your computer from the wall...
That's life's conundrum...more functionality = more problems
I'm sure when someone solves the perpetual machine problem, the solution which you seek will follow shortly there after...
Cheers

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:49 am
by Maugrim_The_Reaper
Maybe try browsing using lynx via an ssh session on your host?

If you can lump a proxy in there you'll be bouncing across half the world.
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:43 am
by pickle
You can sign up to anonymizer.com or some other similar service. Services like that take your request for a web page, and make it on your behalf. Now - as to whether they keep logs or not I don't know.
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:48 am
by timvw
scottayy wrote:Nah, im not much for illegal activities

Just would like peace of mind knowing that if I <span style='color:blue' title='I'm naughty, are you naughty?'>smurf</span> off someone, they're not going to come beating at my door

That's easy. Stop smurfing people...
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:09 pm
by hawleyjr
You can also surf on a public wireless network. Many towns/shops have them.
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:14 pm
by alex.barylski
hawleyjr wrote:You can also surf on a public wireless network. Many towns/shops have them.
Thats actually the best choice, although not very practical IMHO...by far the most anonymous...
I wonder though, if they could still find you by triangulating your position, checking area security cameras, etc...and tracking you down the old fashioned way
Excellent *twiddles fingers*
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 12:16 pm
by hawleyjr
Actually, yes they can; MIT did it last year. I saw a show on how they can track every wireless user into a 3D model. pretty damn cool.
EDIT: Found these links:
http://ispots.mit.edu/
http://ispots.mit.edu/ispots.html
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 1:46 pm
by n00b Saibot
ever heard of proxy chaining? do it

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:15 pm
by timvw
All that hopping through public networks... And forgetting to change your mac one in a while....
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:38 pm
by alex.barylski
Thats triangulation...I believe
I remember when I was about 10 or 11 I bought a remote control airplane and me and my dad subscribed to this magazine for model aircraft enthusists...
There were modules you could add to your aircraft which tracked your location, much like GPS, although I don't believe it was GPS, the idea is the same...
Like navigational fixes used in the old days of flight...
You have a signal coming from two different navaids, both give you distance and heading...from that you can calculate your current location relative to those two beacons...
Damn rights it's pretty cool
Althoug I would have to say...you would have to do something *really* *really* stupid IMHO for the authorities to bother investing all those resources into tracking you down...
Cheers

Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 4:48 pm
by alex.barylski
n00b Saibot wrote:ever heard of proxy chaining? do it

Having never heard of it....I can imagine what it does...
Each proxy you use, if they keep a log...I can still see the possibility of being logged and thus tracked...?
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2006 5:05 pm
by feyd
also remember that each router your communication goes through may log the traffic as well.