Privoxy is back from inactivity!

(tags browser, filtering, proxy, software)

I just noticed it today, but last week Privoxy, the competent web filtering proxy, has finally received an update, version 3.0.5 beta. It's been over 2 and half years since the last update, which is like an Ice Age ago in Internet years, but the built-in rules for annoyance and ad filtering is so good in last version (3.0.3) that I never became dissatisfied. The change notes reveal some significant and interesting features, such as multiple filter files (for page rewriting) and new and improved "actions" (per URI directives). Also the well written User's Manual has been revised, with "What's New in this Release [3.0.5]".

Though I heard that Firefox has had significant ad-blocking extensions and a defunct Windows-only web proxy Proxomitron seems to have more mind-share, Privoxy satsifies my surfing needs and allows me to use Internet Explorer freely.

One thing that has annoyed me though is the relationship with Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF) Tor, an anonymous Internet communication system. Tor uses Privoxy as a base "library" for its operations, and in fact is a recommended configuration (1, 2, 3). I have no problems with Tor, but I don't use it, so I am disinterested. However, Tor newbies flood the Privoxy mailing list with seemingly Tor related problems, which drown out the Privoxy-only discussions. Privoxy hasn't been a very popular web proxy, and it's gratifying to see it being used for a high profile Internet service, but at the same I'm tired of seeing "Tor isn't working".