> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.chrismessina.me/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Curse of a thousand blocked ports - URL: https://www.chrismessina.me/blog/curse-of-a-thousand-blocked-ports/ - Published: 2006-01-28T11:08:18.000Z - Updated: 2026-03-25T03:34:12.000Z - Author: Chris Messina - Tags: Life online, Technology, Usability [](http://flickr.com/photos/factoryjoe/92226828/?ref=chrismessina.me)I landed in [Phoenix](http://www.phxskyharbor.com/?ref=chrismessina.me) two hours ago en route to Dallas for [Bar Camp](http://barcamp.org/BarCampDallas?ref=chrismessina.me) and missed my connection because another plane was in our gate... So instead of arriving at 1:40pm, I'll be getting in around 4\. Yuck. So why am I bothering to broadcast this on my blog? (I realize this sounds like a big whiny complaint, but there's a reason...) Because *Port 80* is my sole vehicle for outgoing web communications at the moment. My email is blocked (another vote for moving entirely to Gmail), [IRC](http://barcamp.org/BackChannel?ref=chrismessina.me) is blocked, IM is blocked, Skype IM is blocked... I can't even send smoke signals via FTP. On top of that, my SMS is totally backed up and I haven't been getting texts for days. WTF? Now I know that more [capable geeks](http://an9.org/blog?ref=chrismessina.me) would tell me to just [tunnel into some other unblocked system](http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac123/ac147/archived%5Fissues/ipj%5F8-3/ssh.html?ref=chrismessina.me), but c'mon, I'm a simpleton, remember? I expect (and need!) this stuff to just work. If this kind of service variability is the future of the networked environment, man, add that to DRM and we truly are EFFed. If we can't even rely on publicly-accessible (though privately sponsored) wifi for these basic communication channels, we've gotta think about who should really be in charge of these networks... Who cares about my robot breathren taking over when we're already turning our computers against us. Seriously. WTF. --- ### 💬 Comments from the original post **[TechBlog](http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2006/01/smells%5Flike%5Fwin.html?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-28 11:39:44 **Smells like Windows Vista**The Windows Vista juggernaut gears up further, with Microsoft operating system czar Jim Allchin hitting the road to talk up the upcoming OS.Allchin, who's said he'll retire once he gets his latest baby out the door, says even if Vista's... **[Tara 'Miss Rogue' Hunt](http://www.horsepigcow.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-28 12:12:19 I'm getting the info through IRC for you right now...if you are interested. ;) First message: missrogue: connect to a SOCKS proxy, run XChat over proxy Erm...that doesn't help me at all... **[Tara 'Miss Rogue' Hunt](http://www.horsepigcow.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-28 12:19:02 In case you still need it: tyler: missrogue: System Preferences > Network > Airport > Proxies \[12:14pm\] missrogue: k \[12:14pm\] rtyler: enter in a SOCKS 5 proxy http://www.samair.ru/proxy/socks.htm \[12:14pm\] rtyler: what IRC client doe she have? \[12:14pm\] missrogue: factoryjoe? \[12:14pm\] rtyler: he \[12:14pm\] rtyler: \[12:14pm\] missrogue: (aka Chris Messina) lol \[12:14pm\] missrogue: he uses Colloquy, I believe \[12:15pm\] jakedahn: yaeh he does, hes a Colloquy feind! \[12:15pm\] rtyler: Chris Messina is having trouble with this? \[12:15pm\] • rtyler wants to send him the howto setup Flock with Proxies \[12:16pm\] rtyler: missrogue: just find a SOCKS 5 proxy from that list tat's in the US LOL...smoke signals 2.0! **[Tara 'Miss Rogue' Hunt](http://www.horsepigcow.com/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-28 12:21:57 Oh...and he added one thing: rtyler: in the connection details in Colloquy you can add the proxies T. **[Grant](http://hereisthesolution/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-28 12:47:01 Point your Colloquy to home.bakankin.com port 80 and it willf forward to freenode to you. **[Phones](http://phones.blogcarnival.com/archives/2006/01/curse%5Fof%5Fa%5Fthou.html?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-28 20:45:30 **Curse Of A Thousand Blocked Ports**Don't you hate when the ISPs block all the ports.... **[My girlfriend and her mega-hot multi-tonal highlights at FactoryCity](http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2006/01/30/my-girlfriend-and-her-mega-hot-multi-tonal-highlights/?ref=chrismessina.me)** · 2006-01-30 01:38:41 \[...\] photostream/"> Man, I was going to go and blog about how much my PiC rocks for going above the call of duty and trying to \[...\]