Thanks Michael for what I preceive as an endorsement of this analogy. I would love to know your students' reactions. Feel free to point any issues that could be problematic with thid annalogy or how it could improve.
I look forward to others to comments as well. Best. Walid On Jun 22, 2013 2:54 PM, "Michael Dahan" <dah...@gmail.com> wrote: > Walid, > > I like this a lot and would like to use as an example for my students. > Perhaps using the Gaza Strip as a more concrete metaphor for some of the > ideas would be helpful... Certainly re SSH tunnels. > > Michael > On Jun 22, 2013 3:41 PM, "Walid AL-SAQAF" <ad...@alkasir.com> wrote: > >> Dear friends, >> >> I have been asked to explain how four mechanisms of censorship >> circumvention work using some sort of analogy that any layman could >> understand. I proposed the analogy of surfing the Internet as traveling and >> firewalls as ticket inspectors checking where you are going as described >> below. >> >> So I would love to get from those of you who are familiar with censorship >> circumvention methods some feedback on how useful/accurate such an analogy >> is and ways to fix it. If you have another suggestion, I would love to know >> it because I could use it instead if it made more sense. This is all under >> development so changes can be accommodated. >> >> Note that I want the analogy to make it easier to understand each >> circumvention method without implying something that is inaccurate when it >> comes to the limitations and abilities of each method. >> >> ============== >> >> Technology today offers a variety of Internet censorship circumvention >> solutions to bypass those ISP-imposed firewalls. >> >> To illustrate some ways of how Internet censorship could be circumvented. >> I don’t know about you, but I truly love to travel. So let me present this >> simple analogy of travel. >> >> *Using a particular website = Visiting to a particular town* >> * >> * >> *Protocol used (http, ftp, ssh, pop3, ....) = mode of transportation >> (taxi, bus, minibus, train, plane,..) >> * >> *Censorship authority (firewall) = Ticket inspector >> * >> And let us imagine that surfing the web, having a video chat or playing >> online games, etc. are all forms of travel. The different applications are >> like different transportation (e.g., train, car, sea, air). >> >> As a user in a country where there’s Internet censorship, you’re like a >> tourist hoping to buy a ticket to a particular destination as you can’t get >> out without having your ticket checked by the ticket inspector, who serves >> as the gatekeeper. Heavy censorship means very few destinations could be >> reached because tickets to forbidden destinations won’t be permitted by the >> ticket inspector. >> >> Now there are several methods of getting to a town that is normally off >> access. >> >> *Web-proxies: * >> If you get access to a web-based proxy, then it’s like having a ticket to >> an allowed destination that is not on the blocked list. However, that very >> destination is merely a transfer point where you could go to one more >> destination without any additional tickets. So while the ticket inspector >> thought you were going to a particular town, that town was basically used >> as a transfer point to another town that you were originally supposed not >> to go to. However, the ultimate destination could only be reached based on >> the conditions of the proxy station, which may not be convenient (too slow >> transportation, no air conditioning, etc., planting surveillance devices). >> But because the ticket inspector doesn't know, he let you go any way. >> Remember that this setting allowed you to only get one single ride. To go >> to another destination, you need to come back and take another ride. >> Surveillance is often possible to limit if the web-based proxy allows the >> use of SSL (adding an ‘s’ to http on the address bar). >> >> *HTTP/SOCKS proxies: * >> Through the HTTP/SOCKS proxy method, you’d get a pass that would allow >> you to go to one allowed destination and then from there, you would have >> free transfers on all the trains of the world. However, when you visit >> insecure websites (that don't start with https) with this method, you’ll >> sacrifice your privacy because you'll need to install a spyware device on >> your leg to track your movement for the ticket inspector to know where you >> are going. So when you come after a long vacation, authorities would know >> what you have been up to and what you bought and where you've been all this >> time . You might be in big trouble if you did naughty stuff while you were >> on the different trips. >> >> *SSH Tunnels:* >> Through a locally opened SSH tunnel, you would get a pass to an allowed >> destination that would grant you free access to not only trains, but also >> buses all over the world. At the same time, you also won’t be tracked. So >> you are really protecting yourself from being spied on while enjoying >> visiting almost all the destinations you wanted except the ones that can’t >> be reached by land. >> >> *VPNs: * >> And through VPNs, you show a pass to an allowed destination, from where >> you will be free to use all methods of transportation including land, sea >> and air. Furthermore, your movement or baggage would not be inspected. It’s >> the ultimate method that would allow you to be totally free in seeing the >> world with no restrictions. >> >> ============== >> >> Your feedback is welcome. >> >> Sincerely, >> >> Walid >> >> ----------------- >> >> Walid Al-Saqaf >> Founder & Administrator >> alkasir for mapping and circumventing cyber censorship >> https://alkasir.com >> >> PGP: https://alkasir.com/doc/admin_alkasir_pub_key.txt >> >> -- >> Too many emails? 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