Proxomitron, the Universal Web Filter, is a filtering web proxy written by Scott R. Lemmon. This program was originally designed to run under Windows 95. All future development of the program was ceased in 2003 just one year before its author's death on 1 May 2004; even so, Proxomitron is still viable and used on modern Windows platforms such as Vista and Windows 10.
Premise
The program is generally used to block pop-ups and banners, to remove embedded sounds and animation from web pages, to alter or block JavaScript, and to modify the appearance and content of web pages.
Overview
Properly configured, Proxomitron intercepts HTTP traffic between the user's browser and web servers. The program is capable of altering web page content by removing or adding text. Additionally, it can add, modify, or delete HTTP message headers, be configured to block connections or redirect requests based on the web page address, and be configured to route connections through a remote proxy. The user can monitor connections and filter activations, if desired. Program operation is dictated through the use of a configuration file containing specialized filters which can be written, edited, deleted, enabled or disabled by the user via the program's graphical user interface. The filters utilize a "matching" language similar to the standard regular expressions used in text editing. Additional files, such as "blocklists" and SSL DLLs, can extend filtering capabilities. Use of the program requires knowledge of the Proxomitron scripting language, and some familiarity with at least one of HTTP, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. The scripting interface was not designed to be user-friendly. Because of these complications, the program can be difficult to customize for novice or non-technical users. A default set of filters is included with the program; advanced filters and filter sets written by experienced users are also available online.
Features
The following items are the basic applications and features of the program: ; Filter page content ; Filter HTTP headers ; Variables ; Special commands ; Create lists for filters ; Create standard lists ; Create session lists ; Insert files ; Reroute traffic ; View traffic between server and browser ; Provide alerts ; Uncompress data on the fly ; Filter "secure" channels ; Chain to remote proxies ; Run program or URL ; Change interface textures ; Debug
License
The program was distributed under a "ShonenWare" license; it was free to use, but if the user purchased a Shonen KnifeCD and convinced Lemmon that he or she had listened to it, then Lemmon would consider that to be sufficient to register that user.
History
The first public release of Proxomitron was in 1999 as a download via Simtel. Releases that followed were all named "Naoko" followed by a release number. The May 2003 release of Naoko 4.5 was followed very quickly by the removal of the program's web site and Lemmon's declared termination of continued development of Proxomitron. A subsequent release, however, was made in June 2003, primarily to revert a new behavior related to remote proxy connections that had been designed into the May version. After the release of Naoko 4.5, development was permanently discontinued and the official site had the message: This reads in Japanese and translates to "it went out" or "gone." The original home webpage is no longer accessible. Lemmon's mirror redirect was changed to display a different final message from the author a short time later. The author, Scott R. Lemmon, died 1 May 2004 at age of 36.
Current status
As this was a closed-source project, Proxomitron is no longer being maintained or developed; however, the Proxomitron program is still functional, and there is a community of users who provide support for it through electronic forums. Filters, filter sets, compatible DLLs and other files, and GUI patches to restyle and/or update Proxomitron's graphical user interface are also being provided by users. Many current browsers do contain features similar to those provided by Proxomitron filters – blocking advertisements and pop-ups, for example. Other browser features or add-ons, such as Greasemonkey for Firefox and user stylesheets for Firefox and other browsers via the Stylish addon, also allow for local modification of web pages.
