Sensible Erection | Ask SE: How do I set up a proxy?

Thursday, 16 August 2012

I'm about to move to UAE. As I understand it, they're pretty harsh about what websites you can visit while you're in their country. Not that I surf loads of porn or anything, but I suspect that sites such as this one will be blocked over there. Can anyone tell he how to get around this?

Also, does anyone in here have firsthand knowledge of UAE? What am I about to walk into?

[sci&tech] [by granitewitch@9:22pmGMT] [+7 Interesting]

Comments

derf said @ 9:41pm GMT on 16th Aug [Score:5 Informative]
first off where? i have friends in dubai and abu dhabi and apparently alcohol is okay in both.

as far as a proxy is concerned what you really want is a VPN so there's no chance of your communications slipping out in the clear. I'd recommend getting a VPS server from EDIS in Sweden. They're really cheap (~$1.50 a month for 500GB of transfer). Basically a VPS is like your own little server sitting in Sweden that you have total control of. EDIS has a few pre-configed options one of which is OpenVPN server on Debian Linux. It all sounds kinda complex but it really isn't. You could go for a normal VPN provider (many people use them for p2p) but the issue there is that those domain names and IPs might be under greater scrutiny than a server that only you use.

I'd be more than happy to help you out and answer questions.

granitewitch said @ 9:49pm GMT on 16th Aug
Thanks!

I'll be in Al Ayn, on the border with Oman. My wife will be working for UAE University as a professor. From what I'm told it's a sleepy little college town.

Yes, please give me links and any advice on how to set up a VPN. Assume I know practically nothing, as that's basically the case.

derf said @ 9:53pm GMT on 16th Aug
http://en.edis.at/vrs-micro_59_82.htm

The setup might be a bit confusing. I could actually do that for you though if I could have a shell account. PM me your email if you're interested.

I should also mention that you could set the server up in the US if you want access to Netflix/Hulu or you could setup in the UK if you want access to BBC iPlayer/Sky/ITV/etc.

derf said @ 10:00pm GMT on 16th Aug
oops... this link http://en.edis.at/kvm-micro_66_82.htm

selfimportant said @ 10:05pm GMT on 16th Aug
Someone in another country with a typical router could be the proxy but of course you'll get what you pay for. Is the university going to provide your line (or wireless)? Like everyone else in the region UAE has a state-run telecom which is probably unaware of this site's N. American server address but has arbitrarily blocked voice traffic before, as well as censoring the name servers

granitewitch said @ 10:13pm GMT on 16th Aug
I really don't know yet. I'm just trying to be prepared for potential problems.

Like I said, I don't really go poking around for porn or politically sensitive sites or any of that. It's just that SE, b3ta and other sites I read on a regular basis are often blocked here in the US if I try to get to them through public wifi at hotels and such, so I would imagine that the UAE might do something similar.

I'm also told that you have to be extremely careful what you say by phone, email or online as they monitor everything. I'll most likely be very careful myself and keep any commentary from there as tame as I can.

selfimportant said @ 10:22pm GMT on 16th Aug
Monitoring the network for voice traffic is more about them wanting to charge you for long-distance, not that this has ever stopped any Skype user there, or in Jordan or in Iran etc.

If you opt to create your own proxy, keep in mind that the VPS host is a routinely offered service, basically a rented virtual machine, and easily available from geographically near companies. I found one called host24.com.pk in Karachi

eIfish said @ 8:28am GMT on 17th Aug
Most modern phones natively support VPN as well, though you might need to jailbreak/root them if you want to make them only use VPN and never connect directly.

An iPhone with VPN Only will be unmonitorable, but that itself might be illegal somehow.

eIfish said @ 8:30am GMT on 17th Aug
That is to say, its data connection will be unmonitorable; voice and SMS still works like any other phone.

Though you could delete Phone.app and disable SMS in Messages.

cdwilli1 said @ 10:10pm GMT on 16th Aug
I use schoolisgood.com - suggest you use with care and have virus stuff turned on. It is free (ad supported hence the caution).
Load skype before you go - you cannot download it there (tho I never tried with the proxy) but it does run if you are there. I have never had success with skypes phone calling feature in UAE though I was told maybe the hotels system was blocking. Who knows.
Fun place. You will enjoy it. HOT right now tho.

granitewitch said @ 10:14pm GMT on 16th Aug
Hot, but at least dry. The steam here in Virginia about kills me every summer. And over there everything will have AC, of course...

selfimportant said @ 11:12pm GMT on 16th Aug
Despite their not-at-all-suspicious naming scheme ("gymtimestories.com" "schooltomorrowsucks.com" "lunchtimemeet.com" and so forth) none of those camolist-administered sites seem to work for very long. It was a sad day when ShesAVeryKinkyGirl.com broke

cdwilli1 said @ 10:25pm GMT on 16th Aug
Yes, it is said that all is monitored - hence skype cannot be downloaded as it cannot be listened in to so easily. SE is blocked without the proxy (tons of sites that you would not expect are too).
When you get a SIM for your phone (or a new phone) take your passport; they cannot give you one without. I travel with various SIMs to save on phone bills - I use DU for the UAE and the price is right.
Don't discuss religion or politics in a negative way in public and you are fine.
And it is HOT - you will not want to stand outside waiting for a taxi for example. Winter is great tho - very warm (70-80).

granitewitch said @ 10:42pm GMT on 16th Aug
Sounds like I should be set then. The only time I talk politics is to laugh at US politicians, and even then I don't say anything terribly inflammatory. Religion is something that I find interesting to discuss, but I generally don't criticize it much. And neither topic is a very common one for me anyway.

We have two black cats. They will now become indoor cats, as I suspect that they would spontaneously combust over there.

mrklipp said @ 1:52am GMT on 17th Aug
If you haven't already looked into it, start checking the regulations for taking pets over there now.

Also, be sure to check really carefully on the regulations for bringing them back.

granitewitch said @ 2:39am GMT on 17th Aug
Covered. I won't tell you how much it's costing us to bring them over there, but as they're very important to both of us it's gonna happen anyway. I couldn't stand to leave my fuzzbutt behind.

incpenners said @ 3:32am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:2 Insightful]
I couldn't stand to leave my fuzzbutt behind

Tagline!

Naruki said @ 4:47am GMT on 17th Aug
Coming back from Japan with 2 cats was remarkably simple: there was no quarantine period. GOING to Japan, on the other hand, was terrible.

lilmookieesquire said @ 10:35pm GMT on 16th Aug [Score:1 Interesting]
I wanted to ask.

Is it actually possible to set up a safe for work SE?

Like a site with a name that won't set off filters and could mirror SE's sfw posts?

Is this not really feasible?

I assume St. Marck would need to be involved.

granitewitch said @ 10:37pm GMT on 16th Aug
There already exists filtered.sensibleerection.com but I've seen that blocked too.

lilmookieesquire said @ 10:43pm GMT on 16th Aug
I basically mean making a separate sensible erection that is worksafe (as in the word "erection" isn't in the URL) but something actually linked to SE (so there is no need to have separate posts/comments/use name registration)

I'd also like a fererri.

Is there even a remote possibilty the website is more realistic than the car?

lilmookieesquire said @ 10:45pm GMT on 16th Aug
Sorry forthe mini thread jack, but it's been on my mind and it's kind of related (in that it might solve SE's filter problem)

structured_spirits said @ 11:02pm GMT on 16th Aug [Score:2 Interesting]
I don't know if there's a real worksafe option, but what you might try is simply navigating SE using it's ip address instead of it's domain name. So for example, open a command prompt and type ping www.sensibleerection.com, you'll get reply from 204.14.111.57 or similar, you can just type that ip into the browser, you'll need to sign in as your browser won't have a cookie for that address. I'd highly suggest using a browser with a selective content blocker like adblock and also block the images from http://www.sensibleerection.com/images/iconic/ also http://204.14.111.57/images/iconic/ I think. You might also want to block post thumbs which are at http://www.sensibleerection.com/images/entry_thumbnails/ in a similar manner. Or you can just block all images from the site, which is probably safest at work. You get the idea. One of the great things about this site is how it's all out in the open php type stuff, no flash cross site scripting bs like most places.

Naruki said @ 4:49am GMT on 17th Aug
My script blocks images by default, but lets you click to show them. Opera has had a similar feature since forever. There are probably plugins for the other browsers.

cb361 said @ 8:37am GMT on 17th Aug
The SE IP address itself is blocked by whatever blacklist Vodafone uses for business accounts.

structured_spirits said @ 2:32am GMT on 18th Aug
Surprising thorough of them. Oh well.

De_Wr0ng said @ 11:58pm GMT on 16th Aug
This is Christy Fererri.

Why the fuck would you want her car?

Khafra said @ 3:06am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Interesting]
WTF? She doesn't even have any muscle, just a manly face! Now, here's a few muscle girls.

foobar said @ 4:23am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:5 Underrated]

lilmookieesquire said @ 6:43am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Insightful]
I like her body gestures. Well practiced at trying to be feminine (successfully).

gunthar said @ 6:55am GMT on 17th Aug
so feminine

assbastard said @ 6:59am GMT on 17th Aug
I have the most appropriate boner right now...

zsander said @ 7:59am GMT on 17th Aug
Damn. More please.

eggboy said @ 9:20am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:2 Informative]
Samantha Wright.

drd69 said @ 1:06am GMT on 20th Aug

selfimportant said @ 10:50pm GMT on 16th Aug [Score:1 Informative]
You can set up your own scraper, so why bother him

lilmookieesquire said @ 10:53pm GMT on 16th Aug
I'll look into that, thanks!

graham said @ 5:21am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:3 Informative]
there used to be a ton....jeez, what the hell were they...

filtered.sensibleerection.com
filtered.rapturebusiness.com

atter_cob said @ 10:51pm GMT on 16th Aug
Honestly, the best advice I have is not to go.

It sounds like it's a nice opportunity, but I know two people that each went to teach in the middle east, one in Saudi Arabia and the other Jordan. In both cases they were told that the university was really separate from the rest of the country and that within the university it was "western". But the results in both cases were that they were miserable.

The list of problematic things is long. Some of them are pretty subtle and seem like it would not be a big deal, but when you live there for more than a year the little things can be the worst. And I'm not taking about xenophobic Americans. One person is German and and has lived in 10+ countries during his life. The other is American but spent five years living in S. Korea and had previously traveled a lot in the m.e.

Anyhow, maybe you'll be happy there. I wish you luck. However, I really, really, really hope that you don't sign a binding contract for more than a year. There is a reason why they want to push 5+ year contracts on people: because they know most westerners will want to leave within a year.

granitewitch said @ 10:58pm GMT on 16th Aug
They do have a problem retaining people, but my wife has been forewarned about the reasons and says she can handle it. Her friend reports that the students tend to be unmotivated, as many of them go to university simply to get some time away from their fathers' houses, and that lying and cheating is commonplace. It's a matter of choosing your battles.

Besides, as her specialty is international adoptions and there is very little known about adoption practices over there, she has a rare opportunity for research.

derf said @ 11:15pm GMT on 16th Aug
adoption according to islamic law is kinda fascinating:
http://islam.about.com/cs/parenting/a/adoption.htm

atter_cob said @ 12:12am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Insightful]
Ok, well you've been warned by multiple people... all of whom probably started out saying "yeah, I can handle it".

The cheating/motivation issue is worth expanding on: There are a bunch of people who want to build up these universities. The ones you've spoken to so far as recruiters are mostly from that group. They want the university to be good and would be happy if all the cheaters left. Then there will be these very traditional people who you actually have to deal with on a regular basis. To them, the university is good if it makes the wealthy patrons happy and western assessments are at best meaningless. They will view your wife as a western woman who is trying to give the sons of patrons bad grades and accuse them of dishonesty. They will make her unhappy however they can, and they will believe that the most fitting thing that could happen to your wife would be for her to be lashed for impertinence for daring to judge wealthy men.

granitewitch said @ 2:53am GMT on 17th Aug
It will be daughters, actually- she will only have female students.

The person who told her of this is a former fellow faculty member and a friend, not an official representative of the university. I believe she gave my wife an honest assessment.

I really don't know what her advice was on how to deal with the cheaters, but I suspect that unless it's absolutely blatant a blind eye is generally turned. It has to be something egregious before any action is taken.

Mostly the issue is more how to deal with unmotivated students. However, as she'll be teaching at a Masters level, I don't think there will be too much of an issue with that... but I could be wrong, of course.

And if we find that after a year we can't stand it and want to leave, we will be free to do so. We'll have to pay back the $7000 they give her at the beginning, but that's the only penalty. But I really don't think that's likely to be the case- her friend and her husband are very happy there, so I would bet that we'll be fine.

azazel said @ 6:32am GMT on 17th Aug
My uncle and his wife (and kids) live in Saudi Arabia; he's one of the king's personal doctors iirc (we don't tend to keep in touch with relatives in my family). His wife told us some pretty horrible stories, about how women -- even western women -- are treated. None the less, I wish you two the best of luck.

EPT said @ 3:19am GMT on 18th Aug
I once worked with a Canadian born in Eritrea, who got there via Saudi Arabia. He said his father moved the family to Saudi first, and decided to move on when it became apparent that there are no legal protections for black people. If you're black, the law won't help you at all.

tickaz said @ 11:42pm GMT on 16th Aug [Score:-5 WTF]
Who is this:

and where can I find more?

granitewitch said @ 11:46pm GMT on 16th Aug
...well, this *was* a worksafe post... I've changed it, though.

tickaz said @ 11:52pm GMT on 16th Aug
Sorry man I fugged up.

granitewitch said @ 2:33am GMT on 17th Aug
No prob. I'll change it back now.

aaaaaaaaa said @ 6:48am GMT on 17th Aug
If that was fugging up, please fug up as often as you can! Who was that total babe?

tickaz said @ 11:50pm GMT on 16th Aug [Score:1 Hot Pr0n]
AHHHHH SHIT I POSTED THIS IN THE WRONG POST

PLEASE DOWNMOD THE SHIT OUT OF ME

eggboy said @ 1:47am GMT on 17th Aug
From tineye Here ya go

KropperPrime said @ 11:46pm GMT on 16th Aug
Protip : Don't go to UAE.

granitewitch said @ 2:35am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:2]
Given what they're paying, and given that I've been unemployed for over three years, we can't afford to not go.

KropperPrime said @ 4:46am GMT on 17th Aug
Ok then go ahead and sell your soul to these evil people.

lilmookieesquire said @ 6:39am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Underrated]
And thus capitalism was born.

cb361 said @ 8:40am GMT on 17th Aug
Good luck then, and I hope it works out for you.

cdwilli1 said @ 11:33pm GMT on 18th Aug [Score:1 Informative]
I think you will enjoy the UAE. Dubai is cool - lots of westerners living there and visiting (vacation or business). Women are accepted in Dubai; I know quite a few VERY senior managers of huge businesses (VP level for example) who are accomplished and well regarded. Like most of the world, it is male dominated, but I have not seen it worse than the US overall among the educated.
The Dubai airport even has an Irish pub; alcohol is accepted and available freely. Drugs are wildly illegal as is homosexuality.
On the beaches women wear bikinis though the more formal Muslim women and girls will be wearing what looks like a wetsuit. You will see the Muslim women in all kinds of attire, from complete covering to really daring. The religion of the area is Muslim but apart from the large number of mosques (they are literally everywhere) you would not really know.
I have friends there who are practicing Muslims but they are pretty informal about it - they worship on Saturdays but they do drink wine, too. Much like most Christians in the west, they live a balanced life.
Crime is low (but more than the government admits). Safe for a woman to walk at night. Any non-emirati convicted of a crime is deported and emeriati who are convicted of crimes are not treated gently. So: safe there.
Beaches are gorgeous, water is clear, no tax on anything, cheap labor, relatively inexpensive fuel, houses are nice, the place is strongly regulated (not the wild west you might expect). Pretty too.
I have never seen a camel tho! They are either racing or far from the city.

granitewitch said @ 3:22am GMT on 19th Aug
Thanks! Pretty consistent with what I've been told thus far, but it's good to confirm it.

As I don't smoke pot or do any other illicit substances and I'm definitely hetero, I should be pretty safe there. I'm guessing that alcohol will likely be expensive and not great quality, so I figure my consumption will drop pretty fast.

My wife will be a government employee and rather important to them, so I'm guessing she will be treated well- her lesser-ranking colleague says she's treated well and feels safer there than in a US city. As her husband I will have the option of taking free classes at UAEU, as long as I wear the traditional garb. (Which is fine with me- if I'm getting a free education they can dress me in fishnets and a miniskirt for all I care.)

And I've read that Al Ayn is noted for camel breeding, and that they hold camel beauty contests there. That I just gotta see.

cdwilli1 said @ 5:25pm GMT on 19th Aug
Looks like you will be safe - unless of course you do decide to wear fishnets and a miniskirt! I am curious about traditional garb: 80-90% of the folks I work with wear suits (with or without ties), jeans and a shirt (with or without collars). I do work with folks in the traditional Arab garb but they tend to be the uber-emirati (princes, etc) - someone told me the color of the robes for the emirati may not be worn by anyone else there. Dunno for sure. I do work with princes from Kwait, Iraq, Saudi, etc - about half wear traditional (different colors) the rest the suit or jeans variant. Let me know what they do make you wear at the univ. I am curious.
Cost of alcohol: same as US (maybe a little less due to no tax) and all the same brands as US/rest of world. Beers: all European pretty much; spirits, same with US bourbon added too.
You will find it surprisingly western. I liken it to Vegas without the gambling: it even LOOKS like Vegas. There are run down areas like anywhere - but the cities are shiny and new. I am told all the big hotels are ready for legal gambling should it come - would not surprise me. Do not miss the fountains by the great mall in Dubai - the ones at Bellagio in Vegas do not compete. Same designer who was given a LOT more money.
Wait for a sandstorm - not what I expected (this is not the Mummy) - just suspended sand in the air like fog. Lasts for days then everything ends up with a coating of it. Made my eyes gritty.
Camel beauty: definitely in the eye of the beholder.

granitewitch said @ 7:11pm GMT on 19th Aug
Huh. I may have to change my mind about bringing clothing- I figured that jeans and tee shirts would make me stand out like a sore thumb there, and so was planning to buy all new clothes when I arrived. Maybe I'll bring my jeans after all. How about shorts? Are shorts common? Or is there an aversion to exposing the leg above the knee, as I vaguely remember from somewhere?

So sandstorms are not scouring blasts of wind and sand? That's a relief. I had visions of getting caught in one while driving and having my car come out sandblasted and gleaming like a Delorean.

Oh, and a big one: how do they drive over there? Do I need to worry about encountering some clown on the highway driving on two wheels while his buddies sit on the top of the car, or is that something that they only do for YouTube?

cdwilli1 said @ 8:24pm GMT on 19th Aug
I have not worn shorts there - but I do see people in them. Women and men. But mostly expats when I come to think of it. Check out the area first before you wear them. T-shirts, quite common too. On everyone except the more formal.
Driving there is said to be very dangerous. I will not drive there myself - but I tend not to in any foreign country as the rules are often surprisingly different. Roads are good tho in the main. In the back of the cities, however, the roads are often terrible (just holes surrounded by sand) and finding your way around is by luck. Most places are found by major landmarks such as "by the big flag" (real quote). Seen a lot of videos being made on the roads - from commercials to music. No crazy driving on two wheels - though beware the mad taxi drivers! I met one who swore, weaved in all lanes, varied his speed from 10 to 90. We were the only car on the road and it was daytime. Go figure.

mrklipp said @ 1:55am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Insightful]
I'm surprised that I'm the first one to suggest you not try to get around the laws of a foreign country you plan to be in for some time.

As a rule, you DO NOT want to get involved with law enforcement in a non western country. Even something you consider to be petty and insignificant can easily be get you kicked out of the country or thrown into jail.

granitewitch said @ 2:38am GMT on 17th Aug
Good point... If it's cheap enough to do I may set it up, but then ask around in person about just how rigidly they enforce this. I would suspect that as long as I'm not downloading and distributing porn, they won't be overly concerned with someone visiting SE. But I will ask some of the other expats before I start going too wild on this.

cb361 said @ 8:34am GMT on 17th Aug
I guess that the problem with using VPNs isn't that you're using them to do things that they wouldn't much mind anyway, but that you can't prove that you're not doing those things.

pleaides said @ 2:58pm GMT on 17th Aug
THIS. Play by the rules, otherwise you're inviting drama.

granitewitch said @ 10:56pm GMT on 17th Aug
Fair enough. I'll be back in November anyway in case I want to change my mind, but for the moment I'll just put this on hold.

I still want info on the UAE though.

sanepride said @ 2:01am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:5 Funny]
I understand UAE is a predominantly Muslim country. Perhaps erich weiss or maryyugo can offer some insight or advice.

swiggy said @ 4:17am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Funny]
BROWN PEOPLE

Mr. Langosta said @ 4:49am GMT on 17th Aug
The hands-down worse year of my life was when I agreed to travel to a strange land to teach at a university, FYI.

sanepride said @ 5:27am GMT on 17th Aug [Score:1 Funny]
Texas?

todde said @ 5:30am GMT on 17th Aug
I have a friend who just finished a Fulbright in the UAE. Leaving aside the issue of proxies she said to make sure your apartment and car have air conditioning. It's not a luxury, it's a necessity.

CapnSilver said @ 6:29am GMT on 17th Aug
Aircon is normally thought about at the architectural stage in the UAE, that should be fine

Rojo^ said @ 2:12pm GMT on 17th Aug
You might also consider Tor + Privoxy, but it's probably going to be slow as hell.

snowfox said @ 10:18pm GMT on 18th Aug
Remember: do not eat a poppy seed anything before going through their airport.

granitewitch said @ 3:14am GMT on 19th Aug
Heh. That's the reason I avoid poppyseeds in general- when I work there's too much chance of a random drug test, and if I'm looking for work I also don't want to risk it.