I have an internet technical question

[liberty]

I have an internet technical question: On Topix the location ( town ) of the internet server that the poster uses is displayed on the screen. Is it Possible to fake this, in other words could a poster make it appear on the screen that he lives in a different country than he actually does?

[Gob]

An IP mask may do that.

http://www.mask-myip.com/

[Joe Guy]

There are several websites that have a free download that will hide your IP address.

Here are two examples:

CNET

Hide my Ass

[liberty]

I am not talking about hiding the location but changing it to a fake location. Could he post in the US, but make it appear that the post comes from South Africa.

[Gob]

Yep, most internet masks will allow that.

[MajGenl.Meade]

I do it all the time. I'm actually living in the Finger Lakes. I don't think there's a question you could ask me about South Africa that I couldn't answer by swift use of Google - politics, weather, the colour of Willie van Aswegen's underwear (hmm, that may not be on there but how would anyone check?).

One could try "which is the tallest Mandela statue in the world". Most of the media seems to have that wrong (including the ANC newspeakers who are porky piers anyway, God bless 'em) although non-careless use of Google reveals the truth.

Meade

[oldr_n_wsr]

I'm not in my skin right now.
but I am looking for it

[liberty]

I do it all the time. I'm actually living in the Finger Lakes. I don't think there's a question you could ask me about South Africa that I couldn't answer by swift use of Google - politics, weather, the colour of Willie van Aswegen's underwear (hmm, that may not be on there but how would anyone check?).

One could try "which is the tallest Mandela statue in the world". Most of the media seems to have that wrong (including the ANC newspeakers who are porky piers anyway, God bless 'em) although non-careless use of Google reveals the truth.

Meade

Of course I could be wrong, but I believe I have you pegged right. You are a man of honor and wouldn’t consider lying, but if by some chance I am wrong please inform me by PM; you have my word that I would keep it to myself. I also believe that Gob would never would disclose confidential information either.

And by the way I know that you are kidding.

Are you sure general that there is not some small social difference that only an South African would be likely to know. For example in the South in the US both hot and iced tea are more popular than in the North. Grits are not very popular in the North. In the South an opossum is called a possums; never mind scratch that one it’s a bad example. In the South a cougar is called a panther.

[MajGenl.Meade]

aw shucks lib!

I wasn't joking about the Mandela statue - it is the tallest in Mzansi and hence the world but you'd not know it from media coverage of Madiba in the past two weeks.

I was going to suggest asking who is the sushi king - but apparently the answer Kenny Kunene is too well known. You might try asking what South Africans commonly call a glass or bottle of pop or juice? The answer is cooldrink but perhaps that's just Bloemfontein folks for all I know.

You could ask what's purple and pisses people off no end. The answer is the E-toll gantries on the N1 and other highways in Jo'burg.

I also thought of "What's the paarl taal?" but google that you get the answer in one - the Afrikaans Language monument outside Paarl. So that's no good.

But think about your own examples... how would you ask someone "what do Southerners call an opossom?" or "Which region drinks the most tea?" without giving them all the data they need to google the answer? You don't have to live in the USA to answer those kinds of questions.

And by the way - there is "tea" and there is "iced tea". The first needs no modifier because it is what it is - a drink made by infusing plant leaves in hot water.

Mind you - "hot tea" convinces me that you do live in the USA!

Meade

PS well that might be a question - what word is often used by Africans to mean "The South" when really they often mean "South Africa"? Mzansi is the answer. Mzansi fo' sho' as the TV station breaks say