VPNs?

[Bythyrona]

viewtopic.php?p=24717942#p24717942

Can I get confirmation or denial on the allowance of VPNs?

[Frisbeeteria]

We often block proxy / server / VPN addresses when they are abused by adbots or spammers, but there is no blanket prohibition of VPNs.

[Hobbesistan]

http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=24717942#p24717942

Can I get confirmation or denial on the allowance of VPNs?

Believe this belongs in Moderation, but there is no real 'ban' on using them - only more nuisance ones (I.e Tor exit nodes as they are often used to bypass bans/spam/ect) are regularly blocked.

edit: fris ninja'd *ragequit*

[Bezombia]

http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=24717942#p24717942

Can I get confirmation or denial on the allowance of VPNs?

Believe this belongs in Moderation, but there is no real 'ban' on using them - only more nuisance ones (I.e Tor exit nodes as they are often used to bypass bans/spam/ect) are regularly blocked.

edit: fris ninja'd *ragequit*

Tor is about as much of a VPN as ssh is.

[Hobbesistan]

Believe this belongs in Moderation, but there is no real 'ban' on using them - only more nuisance ones (I.e Tor exit nodes as they are often used to bypass bans/spam/ect) are regularly blocked.

edit: fris ninja'd *ragequit*

Tor is about as much of a VPN as ssh is.

Yes, because routing your traffic through three separate proxy servers is about the same as using encrypted traffic.

In the interest of not only my sanity but everyone here, please don't pursue the 'bold proclamations' business unless you have some idea on the fact(s) to back them up.

Time for technical lesson, I suppose.

(warning major geek inbound - known to cause nosebleeds and confusion)

A PROXY SERVER - Masks your host IP address to display one that is not your own, this is done by routing your traffic through the proxy server, thus, to the end server, giving the impression your origin IP is that server. Tor does this and routs your traffic (anonymously) through not one but three servers; the goal being as all traffic is encrypted internally (where I think you may be confused) no one who hosts a node will be able to tell what people within the network are doing, unless the own both a exit and entrance node, which has happened in the past. This process is otherwise known, shockingly, as a Virtual Private Network, though they can be different in say, a office setting, in this case they are essentially identical.

ENCRYPTION - is when your traffic between you and the end server (in this case, NS) is encrypted; only you and the end server can see what is being sent between you (not withstanding security issues, cough, heartbleed, cough). It does nothing to mask who you are unless it's being used in conjunction with a VPN or proxy network, but even Tor's inbound/outbound traffic (notwithstanding internal node-node traffic) isn't encrypted by default.

P.S Example of a tor exit node for novelty

[Flibbleites]

http://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?p=24717942#p24717942

Can I get confirmation or denial on the allowance of VPNs?

Believe this belongs in Moderation, but there is no real 'ban' on using them - only more nuisance ones (I.e Tor exit nodes as they are often used to bypass bans/spam/ect) are regularly blocked.

edit: fris ninja'd *ragequit*

Actually, TOR was blocked after someone routed a brute force hacking attempt on multiple nations through it.

[Hobbesistan]

Believe this belongs in Moderation, but there is no real 'ban' on using them - only more nuisance ones (I.e Tor exit nodes as they are often used to bypass bans/spam/ect) are regularly blocked.

edit: fris ninja'd *ragequit*

Actually, TOR was blocked after someone routed a brute force hacking attempt on multiple nations through it.

Thanks for the clarification then, mucho gracias.

[Flibbleites]

Actually, TOR was blocked after someone routed a brute force hacking attempt on multiple nations through it.

Thanks for the clarification then, mucho gracias.

No problem, that's an easy thing for me to remember as I was one of the nations hit by it. I woke up that morning, logged on and was told that there had been three bad login attempts.