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UPDATE: Part 2 of 2 posts on China Proxy Server Tips. Part 1 by Min Guo is here.

I hate to make a second post for this but given that I cannot simply edit my additions into Min’s post, I decided I’d have to throw up another post for the benefit of readers like Sue who are having trouble with the Great FireWall (GFW).

Note: In order for Min’s Option II to work, you’d have to be able to get the RSS feed link, which can be hard if you can’t get to the blog in the first place. Of course, you can have a friend get it for you, but that requires you discovering the blog first. Moreover, certain feeds burned through Feedburner have difficulty getting into China, which is why you’ll see some blogs using Feedsky, a Chinese equivalent to Feedburner.

Option III: Anonymouse.org

Probably one of the more famous casual proxies, Anonymouse has the added benefit of being available in German and English. Well, that’s actually pretty unimportant, but I guess the Germans never know when Germany is going to block popular Chinese portal sites like sina.com. Using Anonymouse is about as simple as inputing the URL address for the website you wish to visit. In return for their service, they’ll pop up a window and overlay an ad on the targeted webpage (both of which you can close easily). Anonymouse isn’t hardcore enough to get through everything, but it works most of the time.

Option IV: T0r Pr0j3ct (note: l33t used to mask sensitive keywords)

I’ll quote Black and White Cat for Option IV and V:

Since the block is a strong one and Youtube has also been harmonized, now is perhaps the time to mention two of the serious proxies that get through to everything, including BBC news video, can handle Youtube and enable you to watch Google videos.

1) The first is maddeningly slow (though one enthusiast assures me it works quickly on his computer) but you need it if you want to download the faster second option. Tor works in Firefox. Once you’ve installed the program on your computer, you will see a red notice at the bottom right of your brower saying “Tor Disabled.” To turn the proxy on, click once on that notice and it will turn into a green “Tor Enabled.” You can now read or watch anything you want, but slowly. Tor also offers high-quality anonymity and privacy, but only if you read, understand and act on the instructions. For most of us that is not necessary since we simply want to get past the blocks.

Option V: Ult——h (sensitive keyword)

2) The second, faster option only works in Internet Explorer. I’m not going to name it in full because it is blocked at the keyword level in China. I’ll refer to it here as U. If you want it, it’s the first result for this search (look for the word Download on the U page). Don’t even bother Googling it on the mainland unless you are using a powerful proxy like T0r. Unlike T0r, U is an executable file that you save onto your computer, but do not have to install. If you decide you do not want it anymore, delete the file. As with option #1, you can read anything or watch anything, though it often messes up Youtube - if that happens, close down IE and U and try again.

If you choose Option V, you should be aware that it is a creation of FLG and financed by the US government. Bear that in mind when deciding whether you want it on any particular computer. Both these proxies function only in one browser. So if you use Tor in Firefox, you can carry on browsing in Internet Explorer while you are waiting for the page/file to download.

There you have it.

Anyone have any opinions about all these methods? BTW, please be discreet about using sensitive keywords in comments so CNReviews doesn’t get harmonized! It is already slow enough as it is in China. — Elliott

UPDATE: Part 1 of 2 posts on China Proxy Server Tips.  Part 2 by Kai Pan is here. 

I received an email from one of CN Reviews‘ readers yesterday. Here is the abstract of Sue’s kind message:

I just stumbled onto your blog and find it enormously helpful. I wonder if you already have a post on proxy servers and if not, may consider doing one.

I’m incredibly frustrated about not being able to find certain sites. I’ve just arrived in China and am still figuring out how to find the right proxy server, esp if I’m trying to blog.

I am not a technical person and really don’t know much about proxy servers, but I do find my way to read 99.5% of the blogs I like including those are not directly accessible in Shanghai, such as gigaom.com.

Option I: Gladder - Great Ladder

This is a firefox add-on called “Great Ladder”- ladder to the great wall. You can find it here.

• Step 1. Click on the green button says “Add to Firefox”.
• Step 2: You will see the pop up window asks you to install it. Follow the instruction and you will get an icon on the right bottom corner of your browser like this:

Now you are armed with the ladder to climb over the wall!

When you are on a web page, right click on the ladder icon and you will see the menu like above image. We are lucky that we don’t need it for CN Reviews. We are not afraid of being harmonized but would prefer not to be!

To enable the gladder, simply click on the URL on the menu. When the gladder is enabled, you will see a “check” mark in front of the URL See above image. Joe Duck’s blog is not as lucky as CN Review and it looks like his when the gladder is not enabled.

A recent Gladder review by Jianjun can be found here.

Option II: RSS feed readers such as Google Reader.

I don’t have a problem reading Joe Duck’s blog after I subscribed to it on Google Reader. But, of course, I can’t see the blog visual design, can’t browse by its categories, tags or menus. I think RSS feed reader is a good option for the blogs that you are familiar with and want to subscribe to it.

That’s all my secrets. I think they are good enough for people don’t like the technical hassle. Good news is that you don’t need it for English Wikpedia since a few days’ ago. Good luck!