I must say being at a school where “Innovation is Tradition” does have its upside. As students, we’re lucky to have access to wireless internet all over campus—wherever you are, there’s no doubt a connection to tap into. It makes our lives easier both socially and scholastically. You can shoot your professor an email from anywhere on campus immediately from your iPhone, or even take an exam on Blackboard while soaking up the sun. Most people don’t realize that many universities are still living in the Stone Age, requiring students to plug into a wall for any kind of connection. While we should all feel thankful for Mason’s technological advancements, it’s hard to forget that this means constant monitored use.
Before tapping into any GMU network, you must enter your mason ID and password. Now, some students have set it up so they no longer have to sign-in 100 times a day, but that doesn’t mean their internet activity isn’t being watched. A very dear (and possibly perverted) friend of mine once told me about something called “Porn Mode.” Now, I’m not sure that’s the professional title, but it is clever. Google Chrome developed a way for users to hide their Internet activity. You can access any site you’d like without ever leaving a trace. It doesn’t pop up in your browser’s history, and allows for less pop-ups.
Needless to say, I was a little creeped out when said-friend told me about Chrome’s secret feature, but I was also a little intrigued. Now, I’m not sure if Porn Mode is at all protected by the Mason network, but it’s worth a shot. Of course, I generally wouldn’t recommend looking at porn on your computer (or anywhere else, for that matter.) But…I’m sure there are other things you might want to hide. Say, downloading torrents for every newly released album on iTunes. I’m definitely guilty of staying up late on Porn Mode, using every YouTube-to-mp3 converter I can find. I cannot guarantee that you’re totally safe, but it’s better to be safe than sorry! I wish you luck in your future Porn Mode endeavors.