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X2-Illuminatus
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Post by X2-Illuminatus » Thu, 11. Jan 18, 19:28

Morkonan wrote:Making the shift to Opera, like linked above, might be interesting. I didn't know they bundled VPN, but I do have to wonder exactly how they're doing that for "free."
Opera FAQ wrote:How does Opera make money?

Opera provides cloud-based mobile services and solutions to operators, publishers and advertisers and enables hundreds of millions of consumers, via the Company's global cloud infrastructure, to connect to the internet content and services that matter most to them. Along those lines, Opera has different revenue models, depending on the customer type:

• Operators. Opera's revenue sources from this hosted solution include active user fees, data fees, NRE/development fees, hosting services, advertising and maintenance, and support.

• Mobile consumers (via partnerships with search providers and advertisers). The primary driver of mobile consumer revenue is revenue from mobile search, the Opera Mobile Store and active user growth.

• Mobile publishers and advertisers. Revenue comes from Opera's mobile advertising services and technology solutions, offered to premium and performance advertisers, ad agencies, publishers and developers.

• Device OEMs. Revenue comes through license agreements with a wide range of consumer-electronic-device OEMs.

•Desktop consumers. Revenue comes primarily from search and e-commerce partnerships.
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Post by Morkonan » Thu, 11. Jan 18, 20:01

X2-Illuminatus wrote:
Opera FAQ wrote:How does Opera make money?....partnerships
And then, I went looking: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2016/04 ... vpn-proxy/

Should read "Opera "VPN*" then. It goes through Surfeasy: https://www.surfeasy.com/

I've found conflicting reports on their "NoLog" policy related to Opera "VPN" users as well as the number of proxies available to them.

The "average adolescent" does stoopid crap online and desperately needs iron-clad protection as well as a safety helmet. Given that, though, I wonder how many VPN "services" end up exploiting the rebellious desires of young people online by gobbling up every bit of data they can while Junior downloads his DRM-stripped games and music through their "be anonymawesome online" service.

(Wasn't or isn't there a sort of "nanny" VPN/Parental Controls service that is/was popular? Not for the subject of this thread, just trying to remember what it is/was.)

I also can't stand someone advertising their services as a way to avoid copyright and publication violations. ("See blocked content" etc) Sure, I know that's why some people want proxies and vpns, but it's still violating these protections. /grumble

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Post by X2-Illuminatus » Thu, 11. Jan 18, 20:37

Morkonan wrote:And then, I went looking: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2016/04 ... vpn-proxy/

Should read "Opera "VPN*" then. It goes through Surfeasy: https://www.surfeasy.com/
Meanwhile this has been changed: Opera 50 Beta with renewed VPN (Opera 50 is the stable release version now.)
Moving to Opera data centers
Previously, the VPN service was hosted and operated by SurfEasy LLC, a company recently acquired by Symantec. We have investigated the best options for hosting the service and concluded the browser VPN service will be moved to our own data centers. Opera’s current server infrastructure, one of the highest capacity super-computer clusters in the world, is already hosting services such as the compressing engine for Opera Mini.

The colocation of the browser VPN service to our data centers is expected to give increased performance, scalability and balancing capabilities, while keeping it a free and no-log service.
Mind you that "VPN*" is still a good name for it, as they compromise in certain ways with regards to usability in comparison to a real VPN service ("comfort vs. absolute privacy" as they call it). (The above post mentions the example of using search engines - local IP is transmitted to the engine - as well as being able to only choose regions instead of actual countries as server locations.)

Also, just to clarify: I'm by no means recommending the use of the Opera VPN service. As a user of the Opera browser, I just happen to read their blogs and changelogs, too. I think the previously mentioned suggestion of paying for a VPN service gives the best results with regards to privacy. Whereby not every paid service is, of course, equally good. And then again, what services one chooses depends a lot on their actually security concerns.
Nun verfügbar! X3: Farnham's Legacy - Ein neues Kapitel für einen alten Favoriten

Die komplette X-Roman-Reihe jetzt als Kindle E-Books! (Farnhams Legende, Nopileos, X3: Yoshiko, X3: Hüter der Tore, X3: Wächter der Erde)

Neuauflage der fünf X-Romane als Taschenbuch

The official X-novels Farnham's Legend, Nopileos, X3: Yoshiko as Kindle e-books!

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Post by Morkonan » Fri, 12. Jan 18, 23:08

X2-Illuminatus wrote:...Also, just to clarify: I'm by no means recommending the use of the Opera VPN service. As a user of the Opera browser, I just happen to read their blogs and changelogs, too. I think the previously mentioned suggestion of paying for a VPN service gives the best results with regards to privacy. Whereby not every paid service is, of course, equally good. And then again, what services one chooses depends a lot on their actually security concerns.
No, this is all good stuff! I don't use Opera, so had no reason to know about its incorporation of VPN services. I honestly think that's great as these sorts of things are becoming more commonly needed, these days. It's only going to get worse, too, until the realization that continuing to force users to have their information exposed and tracked in order to make money is going to allow them to be exposed and tracked by people who also want to make money... using much more intrusive means. Note "much more intrusive." I didn't say they weren't "equally" as destructive. I don't want some commercial concern dictating what I see, where I can go, and how I have to get there in terms of my internet experience anymore than I want some 1337 haxxxors hijacking my system. Both = bad.

So, all in all, this is cool stuff, bro! :)

The one thing people should know is that improved security doesn't mean that they are then able to take more risks. :) The wolves are always wolves to the sheep and everyone is capable of being one of the sheep, especially the overconfident.

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