Stupid washington post...

[ibneko]

...The posting advised Internet cafe users to set up a proxy -- a software program that erases digital footsteps such as Web addresses or other identifiable information -- before Web surfing. "I advise you to carry this program in your e-mail and it should be with you anywhere you are," it said....
-washington post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/12/AR2006041201968_pf.html

No, damnit, a proxy is a piece of software (or, occasionally, hardware), that passes data for you. It does NOT erase digital footsteps, such as web addresses (which, unless you mean on your local machine, really isn't a "footstep") or other identifiable information: if you submit your name in a form, it won't strip that out. Some proxies are designed to do the above, but not all are.

::facepalm::

Comments

[jaiwithani.livejournal.com]

What!? You mean we can't just "encrypt the channel" like they do on 24! omgwtfbbqstfuorlyyarly!

A proxy just creates one more party that can read your data. I suppose you could have a proxy-client relationship that encrypted all information between the two...actually..
anonym.OS is sorta along these lines, and would be bunches better for those looking for a bit o'security, methinks.

[ibneko.livejournal.com]

:: amused:: Well, no, you could just "encrypt the channel" - VPN on demand, set up to encrypt on connect, would do the trick.

Indeed. So in a way, it's actually even less secure. Unless you trust the proxy, but that's never a wise thing to do...

Mm, on the topic of security, do you have a PGP/GPG key? I'm looking for other people to sign off on mine (and me on theirs, in exchange), to establish a better "web of trust" than my current non-existant web...

[tinkleneko.livejournal.com]

hehehe *overly amusied*- "No, damnit, a proxy is a piece of software..."