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5 stars
Version: Privoxy 3.0.8
"The Next Proxomitron"
Pros: It is everything a $75+ commercial proxy is - and everything it isn't. I'm not a privacy freak so I'm not intimate about the other proxies out there and what they have to offer, but I do know that none have had as much development as Privoxy did. It does not have have a GUI interface per se (all configuration is done through text files) except for its traffic monitor, but that also means you are free to have full control of the program and tweak it in more ways than what a GUI would offer. But this also means it easily intimidates regular users (see cons)
Privoxy isn't just a proxy - by default, it also filters malicious scripts through heuristics, a web debugger (I haven't played around with it yet), and from the looks of it a content blocker.
Open source software will always be better than software produced for financial gain, and Privoxy is Exhibit A.
Cons: Unfortunately, it is not user friendly since it won't magically do everything for you. If your browser supports proxy connections, and you see the little blue Privoxy icon in the system tray, then you need to do some typing to complete the process:
(These steps assume Privoxy is running and listening on its default port, 8118)
In Firefox, head to Tools->Options...->Advanced->Network->Settings->Change it to Manual Proxy Configuration, then put "localhost" as the HTTP proxy and "8118" as the HTTP proxy port. You don't need to fill in anything else.
In IE, go to Tools->Internet Options->Connections->LAN Settings->Check the 'Use a proxy server for your LAN' and fill in "localhost" for the address and "8118" for the port. Again, everything else is optional.
In Opera, go to Tools->Preferences->Advanced->Network->Proxy Servers->Check HTTP and fill in "localhost", and "8118" for its port. Check 'Enable HTTP 1.1 for proxy' while you are at it.
Visit a website and if all went well, there should be an entry in the monitor. I hope this helps.
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