Does anyone use Tor?

[shanesample]

I've been hearing a lot about it over the past few years and even more so recently. Tor is used to be completely anonymous while on the web. They claim that you cannot be traced and you leave no digital footprint what so ever. Can anyone validate any truth to these claims personally for me?

 

[Genesis]

I use Tor at work. What I like about it is that I can have it as a separate browser without needing to log into a proxy. And it works well. Reason I use it is because of the wonky dynamic IP I have which causes me to be logged out frequently particularly when I'm working on Websites.

In my experience perhaps every now and then (not regularly) I do get the odd block from someone who must be running an anti Tor script.. For what I'm using it for however at work it's perfect. I'm really happy with Tor.

 

[ogah]

sometime i use Tor via SSH tunneling with shell.cjb.net as SSH server

 

[jaran]

Tor is working likes Proxy tunnel. You also can use Psiphon to hide your privacy. Psiphon is working likes SSH tunnel and VPN option. They used vps for serve bases. Its better safe than Tor I guess.

 

[Pauline]

I don't use a proxy that often, but when I do Tor is quite handy for that.

 

[Retired Member]

Just for testing, I've used it a few years ago. But it was annoying slowly for me.
So it was only a short experience for me.

Are you really satisfied with the current speed

 

[GigaGreg]

Just for testing, I've used it a few years ago. But it was annoying slowly for me.
So it was only a short experience for me.

Still a positive feedback, I am trying to use it in some point.

 

[Genesis]

@Moontracker. It's a bit faster than it was just before it started. Slower than what I would like it to be, but acceptable for short-term use. What I like about it is that one doesn't have to close any of the other browsers when one is working with it.

 

[Retired Member]

Thanks for your response guys,

maybe I will give another try to the Onion Router.

 

[doingtest]

I used to use it to communicate privately and honestly, I never like the way it is operated and what snowden revealed made lot of people stay away of anything related to Tor, even the most secure sites inside this circle got busted and lot of people arrested because of the back-doors created inside this network.

Hopefully that the opensource community would come, one day, with a secure and private way to share information inside without being monitored by some third party because they believe they have power to do whatever necessary.

For now, let's stay around monitored internet and keep enjoying what we believe is freedom; as a concept only.

 

[Genesis]

For now, let's stay around monitored internet and keep enjoying what we believe is freedom; as a concept only.

I think the "for now" is meaningful for me. I keep dreading interference via Government rules and regulations all in the name of "the public good and safety". And Google and all of the other large corporations helping this along. As with the large Banking Corporations in the nineties when they got Government to get rid of legislation so they could compete freely in investments and properties and flog all kinds of things to their own banking customers, Google also has a vested interest to be able to control all of us and no better than getting the Government to help them do just that. I doubt we're far away from that point.

 

[whsecurity]

I'm using tor for testing mainly. It has a generally good speed for what it is supposed to do. I don't know how safe it is but I think we have to be openminded. If someone wants to spy you he/she can do it on computer level. So it's a open source program with better security and easier setup.

 

[human]

I use tor in my college to unblock stuff but it is very slow and good only for surfing.

 

[Nightwatch]

I like TOR for when I have browser problems. Doesn't happen often but now and then I find my IP blocked or compromised. Then TOR bales me out every time.

 

[yarrak]

javascript have to be closed. if it's not, then you are not anonymous.

 

[Jonniiwhe]

Doingtest has litterally taking the words out of my mouth regarding Snowden! Such a shame as at one point I heavily used Tor and enjoyed using.

Like said above, use with care nowadays!

 

[pan1]

I use Tor to open onion website. What they called it, deep website?

 

[strokerace]

Ok guys, Tor is not safe to use anymore.NSA has a backdoor it last year. That is how they caught some Anonymous members. Further more, there is no such thing as anonymous surfing any more. Back in the 90's the F.B.I caught a few big time hackers that used things simular to TOR. There was a program called Nerotrace. It could trace any IP back to the exact house. It connected to each node and followed it back. Also, remember, you have to go through your ISP before your connect to any Proxy, Tor, or VPN. Your ISP sees everything you look at on the net. In Canada, they have reported users to the police. I know ways that you can surf the net and not get caught without a proxy.

 

[Genesis]

I think it's a great pity that proxies have got such a bad name. Every one assumes that if you use a proxy you want to hide yourself, or get to sites you're not legally able to get to with your normal IP. I'm in the dilemma that I've got a dynamic IP that I share with a number of hackers here in the UAE. It's not as bad as it used to be, but at one point I couldn't register with a forum as I had a suspicious IP! I also had a nightmare with cPanel continuously kicking me out as the length of the dynamic IP was shorter than International and kept changing. A static IP here in the UAE is usually only available to businesses at enormous prices. So it cannot be an option. So the only answer for smooth and easy access to Forums and to cPanel was to get a proxy. I've got a paid proxy though that I've been using successfully on and off for the last two years, although not as much during the last year. Not sure why but I'm not having any difficulty with my UAE IP any longer.

I still use the proxy for backup or for when I'm travelling - I prefer to use a proxy when I'm in Hotels and using WiFi's in public places. I also have a major issue when I'm travelling with my commercial e-mail accounts - particularly darn hotmail and yahoo. When I travel both of them require that I have to verify my account as being in a different country looks suspicious to them and usually my alternate addresses (I've changed that now) used to be other yahoo or hotmail accounts, which checkmated me. So if I use the proxy it at least helps a little with that too. I try to remember to get on the proxy here in the UAE for a month or so so before I travel and then use the same country IP in the foreign destinations.

Any way, long and short of this is that proxies are not only used for illegal reasons. They are used for protection (within limits of course as there is no real protection once you're online) and for making access easier when you're sharing a dynamic IP or if your service providers' IP is iffy.

I use Tor very rarely. It's a little behind proxy technology, but I think it still has its uses. More sophisticated Websites won't allow you to register with them though when you access them with a Tor proxy.

 

[Yozora]

@"Genesis" Good point! I tend to use proxies when I want to view videos on some Japanese sites which region-protect them so they can't be viewed outside Japan. This is almost depressingly common. I understand that sites like these don't want to waste bandwidth on users from abroad, but it just makes proxy use all the more likely. I've heard of people using them to get around region-protected sites which are only viewable in the U.K. or U.S. too.