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I typically have at least one browser - Opera - setup to always run through a proxy.

I've been trying to follow this...

Going with the subject title, I'm going to ask a stupid question(s).

The only stupid question is the one not asked.

Why would you want to do this? (other than getting google to give you different results)

Couple of different reasons. First off - paranoia. They are watching you. In fact, even my sites - perfectreign.com, filesite.org, livebeans.com, granniepix.com - all set cookies. I put as little information as possible in the cookies but there are others who put important information in them. Also, people can get ahold of your IP and try a DOS or DDOS or track your usage without a proxy. Keep in mind your email typically also contains your IP address as well. Also, there are "those" sites which you may not want to be identified as visiting. For example, the NSA and FBI (as well as other non-US government agencies) look down upon people visiting Fydor's insecure.org site to download nmap. I prefer to visit with a proxy. Finally, it is a simple case of tricking the IP geolocation engines. There was a period during our last national election where the candidate's website (georgebush.com) wasn't accesible from IP addresses located outside the US. Those outside the US who wanted to visit, simply routed through a US proxy and were shown the site. Google recently blocked a site to US residents. I simply picked a UK proxy and went directly to the site.

Is it just a matter of entering in the proxy info in the network setup...?

No, you don't want to do that unless your REALLY paranoid. I typically use it in the browser preferences. Firefox has a plugin which you can use to specify a proxy right on the toolbar.

Are they faster?

No, typically slower. Remember, you're now adding an extra something to the network.

I guess they hide who you are, but why is that an issue?

See above.

If you play a Windows 2000 disk backwards you will hear satanic chants but - and this is much more frightening - if you play it forwards it installs Windows.

LOL! I wonder if people still remember the "backwards" playing LPs. -- kai ponte www.perfectreign.com || www.livebeans.com paul is not dead!