Post ATznPyE7m2JaPZJdMO by sergeant@qoto.org
(DIR) More posts by sergeant@qoto.org
(DIR) Post #ATykJYTQ7JcrmTl9gO by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T15:55:18Z
2 likes, 0 repeats
I have a feeling some companies mean "proxy server" when they say "VPN," but that's not a good marketing term :flan_laugh:
(DIR) Post #ATykglRO4U1oessLnU by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T15:59:29Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
Also, "VPN" and "VPN provider" are not the same thing. You can set up a VPN at home for free.
(DIR) Post #ATylCbKvArlwaT23mK by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:05:16Z
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This is not to sound cocky, don't get me wrong, but I feel that a lot of VPN providers take advantage of people not being familiar with security practices, and convince them that they *need* one or else all their data will be compromised. Essentially, if you use a VPN provider, they become your ISP. So the question is, do you trust the VPN provider?
(DIR) Post #ATylTAYvyMCsTKUFhg by psiie@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:08:16Z
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@calculsoberic I ask noobs all the time "why do you want a vpn?" and guage their answer.If it's privacy, I tell them exactly that. But a surprising number of people say torrents.
(DIR) Post #ATylXyWm93XwavljiC by psiie@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:08:48Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@calculsoberic Oh, I guess HideMyAss and others ahve totally been infiltrated by the FBI. So the true irony is that not having the VPN still might have been better. lol
(DIR) Post #ATylYCeNdZwqOZR0Vc by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:09:10Z
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@psiie seriously?! is it that their ISP blocks torrenting? I could see that as a legitimate use case, I suppose, because torrenting over Tor isn't a good idea.
(DIR) Post #ATylaD9siepCYB7upE by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:09:31Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@psiie the only one I've used a few times is Riseup's VPN service, and a limited amount at that.
(DIR) Post #ATylibssfnnLYKBC9w by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:11:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@psiie perhaps I should write a little article explaining the difference? 😈
(DIR) Post #ATylv6KzH4AtTdHZQW by psiie@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:13:14Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@calculsoberic Back from 2009-2013 I used a vpn (before VPNs were mainstream) to hide my torrenting from my college IT department.Everyone got caught torrenting! They block your internet and you get a strike. But not me!My friend (landlord) got a letter from their ISP about downloading "exact movie here @ exact time". So it totally happens! (Wave ISP)
(DIR) Post #ATym2iFIjM534gFh5s by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:14:40Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@psiie Huh. So overall, not the best idea. We do use a VPN at work to send files remotely sometimes, but that's not what the marketing seems to think most people are interested in, afaik
(DIR) Post #ATym2qAzFHNnfcIMTo by psiie@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:14:43Z
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@calculsoberic I would read it! Love it!
(DIR) Post #ATym4JA4xpj9r9ZQCO by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:14:58Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@psiie Cool, thank you!
(DIR) Post #ATymDSgytlwo1OKChc by psiie@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:16:38Z
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@calculsoberic So I have a unpopular usecase for VPN:I rolled my own VPN at my house. And I am the only user. So I use it to tunnel to my house from my laptop or phone. So that I can do things like restart my minecraft server remotely. Or grab a file from my desktop (very handy and happens more often than you'de think).Technically a VPN, but not what I think people think when they hear VPN. They think "scrambled. secure. private" :P
(DIR) Post #ATymGXgCoNoeMIQmVk by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:17:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@madikonrad oh wow, maybe I've dodged a bullet?
(DIR) Post #ATymH9sammIqpiWD5s by teleportaura@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:17:15Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@calculsoberic Imo, the business of VPN providers is to scam their target audience who likely know nothing about tech by employing a lot of fearmongering and spreading FUD.If you want to protect yourself against "hackers¨, don't be stupid. VPNs can't protect you from stupidity.If you want to be more private, use Tor and Linux. VPNs sell your personal data.If you want to pirate something and not get caught, buy a cracked VPN account for a few cents and don't give money to the VPN provider.
(DIR) Post #ATymNIDIiGeoPz8784 by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:18:23Z
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@teleportaura You hit the nail on the head! Tor may not be foolproof, but it is at least "distributed trust," as opposed to putting all your trust in the VPN provider.
(DIR) Post #ATymbcWU03dRScvyJU by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:20:59Z
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@madikonrad So am I, coincidentally! There are some other choices besides Comcast but not in every area.
(DIR) Post #ATymoV7cpNVGGuRtzs by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T16:23:19Z
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@madikonrad I was thinking that too! They practically have a monopoly (not quite, but close to it).
(DIR) Post #ATyxh8UXfRhpYNrJGC by Retr0mantic@geekdom.social
2023-03-25T18:25:13Z
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@calculsoberic I’ve been using PIA for years but who should I be trusting?
(DIR) Post #ATz66eUWd5zPfiWrJo by sergeant@qoto.org
2023-03-25T19:59:28Z
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@calculsoberic How do I do that?
(DIR) Post #ATzAXppgyDGiTweATI by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2023-03-25T20:49:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@sergeant Depending on your OS, there should be a VPN settings. What do you use?
(DIR) Post #ATznPyE7m2JaPZJdMO by sergeant@qoto.org
2023-03-26T04:04:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@calculsoberic openSUSE (GNU/Linux)