Iranian Proxy Server

Wow. I have put my geek-ness into action.

Perhaps some of you have seen the news reporting that much of what we know about events following the Iranian elections is being provided directly by Iranians via the Internet. This is true despite the fact that the Iranian government is censoring Internet access. This is happening because of a thing called a 'proxy server'. Proxy servers allow the Iranians to access censored material by doing it through an alternative web address which serves as a proxy for the real thing. The proxy server goes to the censored site, retrieves/sends the material, and feeds the results back into Iran - all via a seemingly innocuous internet address.

I am proud to say that I have put my values and my geeky talents into action and set up just such a server. I will not provide details here but have done so to the appropriate channels. The Iranian government is doing everything it can to find these proxy servers and shut them down.

Of course this does present some level of risk. The machine I am using as a server has nothing on it that is either secure or irreplaceable. If it is hacked -- there is nothing they can hurt. The rest of my network is fully fire-walled. I've taken every sane precaution while still taking action.

I know little about Iranian politics. What I do know is that the relative freedom of information is one of this country's most precious and productive gifts to its citizens. Without accurate information - accurate conclusions are impossible. I see this act as simply facilitating the free flow of information.