six/four: "It's at least a first crack at a working model of the next phase of the Internet -- secure communications by trusted peers over an untrusted network." [Adam Curry: Adam Curry's Weblog]

I realize most open proxies are just unsecured corporate servers, but how about voluntary open proxies?  Linux has everything you need.  Start with a proxy server in an unsecured configuration.  Add traffic shaping to limit bandwidth.  For privacy, don't keep logs.  You can boot from CD-ROM -- if you have enough RAM, you don't even need a hard drive.  You can run headless to save hardware costs. 

If the CD-ROM is put together right, you might be able to support a wide range of hardware, making it easy for folks to convert that old box collecting dust in their closet into a "freedom proxy."  Think of it this way: you're donating a little bit of your bandwidth to help return privacy and anonymity to the Internet.

8:26:50 AM