Just interested whether people here generally browse the internet using some anonymising software (to mask IP address etc) or not? You can even vote if you totally don't know what I'm talking about (though that would probably be default be a "no")

Lets poll!

Forgot to say. I use it just sometimes.

Why bother, unless you are doing something you are ashamed of??

I don't but just looked at a few things. One said that it

protects you against Phishing, Pharming, Spoofing, or anyone looking to "piggyback" on your Internet connection

Doesn't sound like a bad thing though whether necessary or not is beyond me. Anyone use it?

because you want to access content in other countries that is "region specific" I did so during the Olympics and am not ashamed of it. It's like wanting to watch a region one DVD...
During the last US election Dubya's website was blocked only to US connections, I had a gander through a US proxy to see: there was nothing to see (naturally).

If your school, uni, work blocks sites like hotmail or facebook and you want to see them.
Not a lot of shame in checking one messages you know.

There are many uses for anon surfing, it's not for kiddly fiddlers who want to surreptitiously download some kiddie porn etc.

Sounds very reasonable.

What do you download?
I'd like to watch Match of the Day and the Scottish footy highlights that you get on the BBC, but they are open only to UK PC's

I use annoymizer, but only sometimes as it does tend to slow down the browser, I normally use it when browsing or using chat software, otherwise I don't bother as my internet connection anyway runs through a stealth system, which makes my computer invisible on the net anyway but annoymiser is very good, as it disguises your real IP!

Just anonymiser will not get you BBC iplayer unfortunately.

One way is to sign up to hidemyip (search for that), I think it is about $30. Then with their premium service I think it's about $6 a month. With that, you can specify a UK IP address and I believe that you can view iplayer. I might be interested myself but want confirmation before paying!

There may be technical ways that cost nothing, I don't know.

BBC iplayer is pretty good folks. We get it for free ("oh no we don't" say licence payers) and it is really popular. Use it a bit myself, though alas it is blocked from work