Filtering traffic from your node - for exit points

jeffery statin jeffstatin at yahoo.com
Tue Sep 11 05:10:43 UTC 2007


Hello,

> A little experimentation later I've found a way how
to limit what users can or cannot do.

What is the nic or key of your exit node?  I'd like to
put it in my excludenodes list.

> Personally I have decided that I'd rather be
investigated because of filtering illegal materials
than to be investigated because I was helping a
criminal.

Personally, I'd prefer that you do not run an exit
node while acting as prosecutor, judge and executioner
for download/upload of perfectly legal files such as:

(a) .rar file; report on human rights abuses
(b) .mpeg file; video about the Dali Lama (re: China)
(c) .iso file; image of a Tor configured liveCD 

You see there are perfectly legal reasons for these
files (as I'm sure you know)...don't throw the baby
out  with the bath water!
 
If your so concerned about what your node is passing
then run an entry, middle-man or bridge node, not an
exit node.

> [snip] the more questionable material we filter the
more remains to be used in legal ways.

Are you suggesting that usage of Tor would be faster
if this filtering was common place?  If so I believe
you are incorrect (if I understand Mike Perry's
statements correctly).  Mr. Perry stated that even
with greater overall bandwidth Tor will not become
faster.  The main issue with Tor's speed is load
balancing and weighting of nodes...not bandwidth ATM. 

And again, who are you to decide what is legal for all
persons living in many different countries?  What is
illegal in one country may be legal in another
country.  For example, in many countries cannabis is
illegal yet in other countries cannabis perfectly
legal and is used as a medicine.

If this type of censorship (oops, I mean filtering)
becomes common place then maybe there could be a flag
for these types of nodes (via. TorFlow or Snakes on a
Tor)?  This way we could choose to block these nodes
automatically; though this would reduce overall
anonymity via. reduction of decentralization and fewer
exit nodes to rotate through.

In summation:  I agree with your motivation but not
your rationalization or execution.  There are going to
be bad apples in each bunch; always have been and
always will be.








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