Proxy sites have been around for quite a while, but it’s only recently that their use has come into vogue with the mainstream Internet crowd. College students in particular have found a lot of uses for those sites with the wireless Internet access in their respective schools. But proxy sites are good for more than just collegiate shenanigans.

Setting the Internet Free

Although many schools and institutions now feature free wireless Internet access, one big problem with those networks is that they tend to be severely limited. They commonly keep users from accessing sites like MySpace and Friendster, to the ire of many students. Even worse, some go so far as to banning more useful sites, simply because they’re not recognized and permitted by the network administrator.

Proxy sites are the quickest way to regain access to those important sites and ” yes ” social networks. Their non-blacklisted URLs let you surf under the radar of the server, so you’ll be able to access those banned sites, social networks and more risqu domains ” even when the administrators tell you otherwise.

Should the network administrators decide to take a look at your browsing history, all they’ll see is the address of the proxy sites you used. This is really useful if you suddenly needed to visit banned or risky sites while in school or in the office. Your browsing records are safe from prying eyes ” especially the ones that belong to your teachers or bosses.

Privacy, Please

Another advantage of proxy sites lies in the browsing records that reside within your own computer. An Internet browser typically takes note of all addresses typed into it by the user. But because you type the addresses into the site for the proxy instead of your browser’s address bar, no records of your browsing session are stored in your machine.

By using a proxy site, you put an intermediary IP address between yourself and the sites you browse. As a result, the sites you visit will only be able to see the IP address of the proxy site you used, and not that of your own computer. You can then surf a little easier, assured that anybody trying to track you will have a much harder time for it.

This comes especially handy if you want to visit sites that nobody else should know about. Do you want to keep those nightly visits to certain sites a secret from your roommate or parents? Proxy sites can make it happen; even if they snoop around on your computer, all they’ll see is the URL of the site you used.

Unless you take measures on your side, it’s very likely that there’s one third party or another that’s following your every step on the Internet. It’s a disquieting and unnerving thought, as if there’s a person always looking over your shoulder. Proxy sites put the Internet back into your control, making browsing a pleasant, personal and private experience once more.