As I'm sure most of you are aware I publish this bot software called Proxy Blocker which has been used on WinMX by chat room hosts since 2009. It allows them to view who is entering their chat room using a proxy server and to automatically block them as-well as other controls.
For a few years I had been thinking about creating an actual service out of the API which drives the client software. An API in this context is a remote server which holds information about which IP Addresses are operating as proxy servers (or VPN's) and which are not.
This is useful beyond WinMX as this technology can be used to stop spam bots, email spammers, cheaters on online games and to stop fraud on payment gateways. So I felt there was a large audience that would find such a service useful.
Last year I started a website called
proxycheck.io which does just that. It's just over a year since the service went live and I wanted to share it with people here because I think it's important that it shows how the community can create a lot of value in peoples lives. This service I created has become a viable and profitable business and it is something I would never have started if it wasn't for WinMX.
Of course with the new service I am still committed to Proxy Blocker for WinMX. I recently switched over from the old mxpulse code base for the proxy checker API to the new one at proxycheck.io and I am offering free unlimited queries for life to all WinMX bots which dial into the API. Service is as it was previously with no changes.
I hope this was an interesting post for the forum, feel free to check the site out and tell me what you think. Have a great day