[WikiEN-l] How to get around AOL proxies?

[Tim Starling]

Ilmari Karonen wrote:
> There has been some recent discussion at [[MediaWiki talk:Blockedtext]] 
> about providing specific instructions for AOL users who find the IP of 
> their proxy blocked, similar to how we provide instructions for users 
> editing from China.

There's a simple, non-invasive way to determine the IP address of an AOL client, which I've been
looking into recently: use SSL sign-on. Make the login links go to https://secure.wikimedia.org, and
redirect them back when they're logged in. SSL requests skip the proxy cluster. We would store the
IP address at login in the session, and then continue to use that IP address for the user after they
return to the unsecured part of the site. And of course there are security benefits for all users.

This would mean requiring that AOL users log in before edit. Sad, but more open than many proposed
solutions.

-- Tim Starling