[tor-talk] GSOC Ideas.

[Ian Foster <mrlanrat@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Everyone,

I was on IRC last week discussing my ideas for projects for the Google
Summer of code, and I would like to get input here too.

My first idea is an update to TorStatus.
The main idea for this is because the project looks like it could use
an update, and I know PHP very well. Since it looks like TorStatus is
moving to Metrics I propose that TorStatus could become a more
lightweight script that can be run on one's own Tor server(s) to
provide information on just them rather than all servers.
Functionality could also be added to configure the server or to
start/stop the tor service.
Is there interest for such a project and would it be useful?

Idea 2, HTTPS Everywhere for Google Chrome
I think that the EFF's HTTPS Everywhere for Firefox is great, and I
would love to have such an extension for Google Chrome. Unfortunately
as Sebastian pointed out in IRC, due to Google Chrome limitations, an
insecure http request would most likely be made before the http
connection started. Until this limitation in the Chrome api is
overcome I suggest that the extension be simplified to just a simple
button/icon that notifies the user if the current page is using http
where it could be using https, then if the user clicks on said icon it
would take them to the https version of the site. This extension could
also be incorporated into a future Tor extension for Chrome.
Upon further research it looks like a similar extension already
exists: https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/flcpelgcagfhfoegekianiofphddckof?hl=en
But I would like to offer more than that extension, such as using the
same list of HTTPS sites that the Firefox extension uses, and not send
any unencrypted data when the user only expects HTTPS.
If during the course off GSOC (or after) Google allows the chrome api
to prevent/pause a page from loading by a plugin then I would
incorporate that, mimicking the functionality present in Firefox.

Idea 3: Python!
I see that quite a few of your projects use Python. I do not know
Python as well as PHP but am am still learning. I would like to work
on any python project for Tor as long as it is something that I can
work on while still learning more python. I was looking at the Tor
Updater script, but would like suggestions.

Ideally I would like to work with something in python so that at the
same time I can get more practice with it but I am open to anything.

Looking forward to feedback!

Thanks!

-- 
Ian Foster
www.vorsk.com
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