Xinophobia

On the other side of the world…

…there is a Great Firewall looming over the webscape. Like any good defensive wall it keeps out invaders. Yet, the oft unnoticed aspect of walls is perhaps just as important. It keeps people in. Whether the wall is cyber or physical, it sends a not-so-subtle message that “We are all you should be interested in. There is nothing out there that a right-thinking person would want to see.”

Let me point out that this is true to some degree everywhere. Some methods are explicit. Others are far more insidious – a subtle manipulation of reality. But this is a topic for another time.

Like the typical wrong-thinking person, I have become accustomed to my free access to the Internet. Being unwilling to give it up, I have prepared for a small scale inspection of this Wall with just a touch of breaching as required.

First would be a survey of what is actually allowed and prohibited. The easy way is to hit the hotspots: wikipedia, major news sites, blog hosting sites, etc.

Next step is to examine what tools remain accessible. Are open proxies still available? How about the Tor network? One can quickly get a feel for if/what kind of crackdown has been made. The availability of some kind of open access, even sporadic, would have a huge impact on the success of breakout attempts. Open access means a chance to download new tools, refresh lists of proxies, exchange information and in short, buy oneself a little more time.

Finally, I will examine what methods are required to reach the blocked content. Personally, I suspect that one method will work for everything but there are inherent risks in being a one-trick pony. The sentries, though lumbering, are always moving. Sitting still is one of the best ways to find yourself locked down. Without outside assistance, it could be very difficult to break free again.

Reports on the above are forthcoming over the next week. Silence on the wire would suggest a much stronger adversary than I had anticipated.

To leave you with a bit of concrete information, I present the following tips on finding power outlets at airports.

1) Endeavor to fly through good airports and on good airlines. The Southwest terminal in Austin-Bergstrom has laptop bars setup with stools and a raised counter with two outlets per person. Good for your cell phone, too! The Continental terminal at Newark International actually has most outlets covered up with metal plates. Which leads me to number two.

2) Look around you for electronic devices. TVs, speakers, lighted signs, etc. all require power. If they’re going to wire those signs, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to place an outlet on the floor or wall. Electric cart parking/recharging areas by definition have power. Construction vehicles used indoors are usually electric. Discovering where they charge is akin to finding the lair of a dragon.

3) Wander into an empty part of the terminal and look for others with electronics. These people may have done the work for you.

4) Check near pillars and other structural supports.. An unadorned pillar may have surveillance or NBC detection equipment inside. Water fountains also require beaucoup electricity.

5) If your desperate, check behind the ticket counters at unused gates. Just be aware that security may not be happy to find you back there.

6) Another last-ditch power source can be found in restrooms. Some models of automatic sinks plug into the wall. Of course, this depends on the type of sink and layout of the bathroom. This is option is wet, conspicuous and difficult to explain.

7) Use your imagination! Observe your environment carefully and take nothing for granted. Even if you have to stand in the middle of the floor and strike a pose while you text.