The Deep Web (otherwise known as DarkNet, Undernet or the Invisible Web), has a simple definition:
“A website that is not available through searching for it on Google and the like”
After having some quite heated conversations over the last couple of weeks (with some quasi-technically savvy people I should add), I’ve put this list together to hopefully clarify some points, I appreciate it’ll take away quite a lot of the mystery of the whole thing, but here we go…
1 – The deep web is a portal to information that others don’t want you to have
Status – Partially True
Yes, it’s true, the “Deep Web” exists, and people store on it information they don’t want you (as Joe Public) to have. But not for the reasons you probably think.
I’ve worked with some pretty large organisations in my time, one smaller one had 7.1Tb of office documents, images, and the odd movie on their intranet. This intranet also had a 9.6Gb database full of other information.
Now this system mentioned above was accessible via the internet, and had some pretty heavy security features (for pretty obvious reason). However, since it was relating to the companies operational factors (and not full of alien autopsies) it would make pretty boring reading to even the most ardent of conspiracy theory buff. The only way you could get on is if the company in question gave you a log on.
Deep web yes, interesting probably no. But still fits into the definition.
2 – Hiding Information from Search Engines Is Rare & Indicates Some Deep Web
Status – False
Most sites hide some information from search engines. Gyp the Cat dot Com hides information from search engines. It’s a very common thing to do. There is a file on web servers called robots.txt, and one called sitemap.xml.
These files tell the search engines what they can and can’t look at on the site. Telling a search engine not to look at something doesn’t indicate it’s exciting, it usually indicates the exact opposite. When a webmaster excludes a directory it’s usually full of techie stuff (ie programming) that would actually damage a sites ranking on a search engine. It’s not so much being evil, it’s more about being a responsible net-citizen.
So there can be certain parts of sites that are available via a search engine, and other (none interesting stuff) that isn’t. Good practice.
Deep web yes, interesting probably no. But still fits into the definition.
3 – Websites make you confirm you’re a human being must be hiding something
Status – False
This theory goes that some websites make you prove you’re human before they let you on, that happens, it’s true (ie Captchas, query boxes, simple arithmetic etc). However they’re not necessarily hiding something.
People seem to loose their common sense on this one. Search boxes on websites, how is a search engine supposed to know what to type in, any information gained from a search on a website is probably “Deep Web”. However, many Webmasters use a search engines own code to let them have access to all the data. Plus many sites allow you to access the results by clicking any way. So most the data will be accessible.
Now, lets take the example from the 1st Myth I posted above. To get to some of the 9.6Gb stored on the database you had to search for it. You had to search like a human would. It’s not hidden, it’s there available (to employees).
Now, the occasional site really doesn’t want automatic search bot or crawler bot on their site at all. Discussion forums are one example, if what is being discussed is changing so quickly that a web crawler taking a snap shot of the information would be an unfair gauge of whats on there.
4 – Freenet, Tor and others of the ilk are deep web
Status – Partially True
Freenet appears to be a content distribution platform built around peer-less VPN technology. Tor appears to be a content distribution platform built around multiple peers with an inbuilt proxy service.
In looking at this entry of the list we need to look at the content inside the delivery platforms. Search engines don’t have the mechanism to look inside these encrypted sessions (although I dare say though governments or those without enough resource could possibly look at it), but again that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s of any interest. Tor was invented by the US Navy for secure communications.
Many corporate bodies use similar systems, and see Issue 1 about that. It’s called site to site VPN, and usually uses IPSec. I’ve worked in the UK where all my internet traffic was going out via the USA. This is the exact same set up as above. And again Issue 1 is that it’s the fact that it’s sensible information, but again no alien autopsies here.
So again, Google isn’t interested because there is nothing of interest.
5 – The size of the Deep Web is immense!
Status – True (but not for the reasons people think)
Going back to our definition on Issue 1, if we look at the size of the website for the same company. I dare say it was no bigger than 10mb. Verses 7.2TB on their internal information store. This is not a rare occurrence. Companies do not make their private information publicly available.
The hidden web is bigger, but there’s nothing exciting here for Joe Public. Any platform that is accessible via the internet seems to fit into the definition of the Deep Web. So that includes intranet sites, the like of Google Docs and other such document collaboration tools. Google are aware that the so called Deep Web exists, and they sell appliances to business to search internally.
Don’t forget also some information cannot be searched easily. YouTube for instance contains TBs of information, yet searching on it is only as good (usually) as the people describing their own videos. Books and libraries online are sometimes only accesible to those with permission, yet they are not available via Google and you usually can only logon if you a member of that institution (for instance Colleges and Universities).
92 Comments
You’re an idiot. I’ve been in deep networks all over the place and I have read and seen shit you couldn’t even fathom. The surface web is quite small compared to the amount of information and gold nuggets you can get in the deep networks. Penetration is necessary to get this information and I have done this many times. I was able to boost my pure intelligence greatly with gold nuggets scattered about these deep networks, I have mathematical algorithms memorized which enable me to mentally calculate above the level of a savant that was born with the gift, this information is not given to the public and many of the governments keep it secret/esoteric. Knowledge can lead to intelligence and vice versa. The deep networks have changed my life and opened my eyes to understand things that other people do not understand and could never understand unless they have this gold too. I don’t share my gold with anyone and I don’t care to. I have brought this proof and this argument to you because I know you’re wrong, but I will not show my cards to you because I don’t really care. For those of you reading this — get there to the deep networks and find this shit yourselves and you will be amazed. Never stop looking for knowledge and truth. All information should be free; knowledge belongs to the world yadda yadda. I would share some of this fruit with you all, but this fruit is that much sweeter when you find it yourself.
Hi there Anon, thanks for dropping by and thanks for taking the time to write your comment.
A couple of points I’d like to make, firstly I agree with you entirely in that the deepweb is huge, it is easily magnitudes of scale larger than the surface web. However not all of this magnitude is anything worth looking at, namely corporate systems and online academic libraries.
The next point I’d like to make is that I’ve heard the argument before that only the enlightened or those who search for something will gain enlightenment from it. This has been repeated over the centuries by many quasi philosophical and religious bodies. In saying that knowledge should be free yet not providing any help or assistance to find it you seem to be contradicting your own stance somewhat.
Again thank you for taking the time to write your comment, it’s always good to hear peoples views on things I find interesting 🙂
Gyp
Most of the crazy stuff isn’t in the “Deep Web” per say. It is located on the “Darknet”. The Deep Web is just the not so interesting stuff that most people wouldn’t care about… The Darknet is where all the illegal and crazy crap is… be careful on the darknet, it’s not worth the risks.
P.S. Good article Gyp.
Ik this is an old thread,but just wondering is knowledge different from intellegence?like u said they can lead to each other.Also do you think the darknet is suitable for a teen with little knowledge about coding, encryption ,the darknet?If not are there less dangerous alternatives?Also im like 1-step of grid if u could call it that.More details if by some miracle you see this ,are telling the truth (probably are),have time (or feel like)teaching/informing a lost kid.
Hi Mememe,
Depends what you want to do with the darknet 🙂 They are some pretty big questions there and I’m likely not suitably qualified to answer them!
I get the impression you’re trying to learn things? If so the list of things you mention there are plenty and very good resources on the surface net or even in your local library.
Let me know if this answers your questions,
Gyp
so much bs for “I don’t care”
Uhhm yeah,
I agree with anonymous. I run from marketing of all types and I realize that there is just as much marketing in the deep web, but it’s immense size allows me to go further away from it. It reminds me of what the “net ” used to be. I would venture to say that the 10% web is for the more narrow minded human and the other 90% for the broader, more adventurous minded human. This is just a hunch, but I bet you giggle at a geico commercial.
What the fuck did you just fucking say about me, you little bitch? I’ll have you know I graduated top of my class in the Navy Seals, and I’ve been involved in numerous secret raids on Al-Quaeda, and I have over 300 confirmed kills. I am trained in gorilla warfare and I’m the top sniper in the entire US armed forces. You are nothing to me but just another target. I will wipe you the fuck out with precision the likes of which has never been seen before on this Earth, mark my fucking words. You think you can get away with saying that shit to me over the Internet? Think again, fucker. As we speak I am contacting my secret network of spies across the USA and your IP is being traced right now so you better prepare for the storm, maggot. The storm that wipes out the pathetic little thing you call your life. You’re fucking dead, kid. I can be anywhere, anytime, and I can kill you in over seven hundred ways, and that’s just with my bare hands. Not only am I extensively trained in unarmed combat, but I have access to the entire arsenal of the United States Marine Corps and I will use it to its full extent to wipe your miserable ass off the face of the continent, you little shit. If only you could have known what unholy retribution your little “clever” comment was about to bring down upon you, maybe you would have held your fucking tongue. But you couldn’t, you didn’t, and now you’re paying the price, you goddamn idiot. I will shit fury all over you and you will drown in it. You’re fucking dead, kiddo.
That’s what you sound like right now.
Hello Navy Seal .. I am a ghost … No weapons of mass destruction can kill me … Not even you bare hands…. I am everywhere… And I will haunt you for the rest of your life ….
Oh yeah? What’s your class number?
Great read.
the deep web does have some disturbing stuff, but only a small portion of it is. So it is rarely seen.
Thanks for dropping by.
I agree, but I dare say you can find disturbing content on the surface web too. I’d also be interested in ratios, since the “deep web” is so much bigger than the hidden web I’d be curious if the ratio is similar across both webs 🙂
You can find disturbing content on the surface web too, but there you can’t find any place to buy drugs, military weaponry and stolen stuff, hire a hitman, look at [redacted], [redacted] and a mix of the two. As well as other more disturbing stuff that I just don’t remember at the moment. Please don’t say that the surface web can be as disturbing as the deep web, it sounds stupid. Though it’s true that the interesting things in there are actually not so much, the big part of the deep web users is using only a small part of the deep web that is way smaller than the surface web.
Hey there Anon,
Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I can appreciate what you’re saying. Here in the UK their is an initiative underway to remove some of the things you mention from the surface web and make content delivery (eg search engines) more accountable for what they are providing to people, so there is obviously some disturbing stuff out there on the surface web too.
I also like what you’re saying about deepweb users only using a small part of the deepweb, this seems to help my assertion that things you mention are more readily available on deepweb.
Thanks again,
Gyp
I stumbled on an ebook on Amazon that focuses on the secrecy and security side of the Deep Web – accessing Tor and adding on all sorts of elements to keep you anonymous. It’s not a guide to the Deep Web as such but its incredibly useful and surprising that you really can travel the surface web anonymously as well as access hidden networks. Its as much about protecting yourself from the corporate big boys as it is about hiding from governments, etc. I don’t think I’m allowed to plug books here (am I?) by if you type Deep Web into Amazon there really aren’t that many books to choose from.
Good article indeed, i have been on deep web it’s been 1 year and i have seen some things. I haven’t had access to this called “big amout of information” yet and i can’t tell if it is true or not, hope it is. I don’t completly agree with what i am about to paste here as i think we should first warn our kids and let them choose what they want to learn and experience…they are born free spirits. My computer doesn’t have any content restriction software and i have never seen my little sister who is 10 years old now searching for inappropriate content over the internet. Maybe because she knows some things are not worth watching…it seems that they don’t wan’t to negatively impact their life somehow, they are really smart 🙂
“Data itself isn’t good nor bad, data just represents the surrounding reality. The more data we may access, the more accurate model we may create of the reality, thereby also define our actions in ways that are maximally beneficial to our aims. The net must not be restricted by moral, ethical nor legal issues prevailing in different world locations, data must flow freely.”
Author? It don’t know…people on deep web don’t seem to care about this
Thanks for commenting 🙂 And I’m glad you’re exploring!
your an idiot the deep web is in fact a great place to buy illegal drugs and hire assassins. even nuclear weapons. so u and ur tech savvy freind can lick my nutsack. oh and there is a difference between deepweb and the DARK NTERNET
Hi, thanks for dropping by.
I’ve got little doubt you could do all the things you mentioned on the “surface” web too. My whole argument is that people seem to loose common sense when talking about websites not indexed by web browsers. There is very large number of those sites which class as Deepweb, but they are not in the least part interesting.
Holy crap your amazing! You actually take the time to read and reply to almost every post is this comment section no matter how obscene! I tip my hat to you good sir.
Hi Roux,
Thank you, I appreciate your kind words. People take the time to write, so it only seems reasonable for me to take the time to reply 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Gyp
The deep web is a load of crap. The surface web and deep web are synonymous. A lot of children claim they find deeply powerful information on the deep side. I can find sources just as easily, and more of them on the surface. Internet lore, for the kids to fathom about. In fact, I’ve met people who create things in deep web just to help the story out. They may claim to have weapons but they in fact have nothing. Furthermore, they’ve been contacted by the government about what the pages they created. There is no such thing as anonymous, and you’d be shocked what the government can see.
Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to write an excellent comment! I see your logic entirely and agree.
I think as the previous commenter points out there is a difference between the academic use of the term “deep web”, and the term “dark internet” which has been constructed and probably along the lines you mention.
Thanks again,
Gyp
I can’t accept stuff from someone who can’t spell ‘LOSE’
Ahh, well spotted I’ve always struggled with that one!
I agree that it’s a lot bigger than surface web is. However, most of it, is information that is not interesting for the majority of the surfers (like you said, intranet stuff, corp. stuff that wouldn’t change the MAJORITY of people’s lifes).
Although, industry spying gives you lots of money. Terrorists can learn how to be a terrorist. How to use, create and fire a gun. A bomb. A drug. If government can track you that much how come they don’t arrest HUGE ********** sites, forums and people? *********** forums with actually brutal *********** scenes? You can find out sites with “dad’s” archive from their daughters beach trip, exposing on a *********** subject. If they can trace your IP even with encrypting and dynamic proxys, and still don’t arrest people…man, world’s lost. My momma once said to me that governments needs evil and crimes, althought they need control over it. And from what I understand, Deep Web gives countries’ government no control at all.
Ideology opression is what we’ve been suffering of from the last years. And yes, if you make people think, they will think, and they will turn against opression, even if it’s not physical (which makes revolution processes faster). Now, if you assume that Deep Web really makes you anonymous (as I believe), truth and knowledge that “they” don’t want you to have, could be there yes, sir.
That was always my point of view. I hope you read it and answer it.
Sorry for my english mistakes if I made some.
Thanks for taking the time to write an excellent and constructive comment. Your English is good 🙂
I dare say that everything you’ve mentioned could be found on the surface web, if you knew where to look or how to look.
From this article and peoples comments I’ve got to thinking about the deep web more, and I suppose it could be argued that Tor has content that is aimed towards specific demographics and isn’t censored by search engines or webmasters. I can imagine some of this content could be gleaned from the surface web, but on the likes of Tor it’s given prominence hence it finds it’s audience easier. As you mention with oppression it’s the lack of censorship that makes Tor interesting from this perspective.
There are sites on the internet that help you look at Surface Web sites you may not come across before, try Stumble Upon as an example. Now I’m not saying that it is deep web, all I’m saying is it’s a way to explore an interest without search engine interference. Sometimes Stumble Upon some fascinating reading and I learn a lot using it. More I dare say than the couple of times I’ve been on Tor and Freenet.
Thanks again,
Gyp
I have been in the deep web. Mostly it is full of sick people, i call them sick only because normal individuals don’t behave that way. Those “sick” individuals might have there explanations which are completely logical to them and them only.
Now, we say there should be a freedom of information. Does it include *****? Does it include ***** stuffs? Does it include ***** and bizarre stuffs? Who wants to see a person under wheels? who wants to see a kid being *****? who wants to see a ***** or ***** video? So, you see Deep Web is just bullshit.
i doubt whether there is someone who can really vouch for the folklore that says deep web is the holy grail of information and all. If there is someone out there please do the honors show us noobs some real info which you assume to be true. I don’t want to learn how to make bombs or how to kill someone but i want to learn some true wisdom.
One thing about deep web that i personally like is that it gives an individual from a oppressive country to raise his voice which i think is very necessary.
There is huge information on the surface web itself let alone deep web.
Last but not the least good job GYP nice post.
Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for very useful and constructive insights 🙂
I agree, there should be freedom of information to an extent, but when that freedom encroaches on someone elses more important rights it should be curtailed. I’m not sure how the likes of Wikileaks fits into my definition though.
Thanks again,
Gyp
PS Sorry for the late response, I’ve been very busy.
Judging by the comments, most people are not realizing what you are getting at. If you go on the Hiddenwiki and follow some of their links, then yes, you can find a lot of cool, albeit useless information. But the “deepweb” isn’t an actual place, it just refers to sites that aren’t indexed in search engines (usually for good reason–because there is virtually no need to do so). Most of the deepweb is just junk that programmers purposefully left out in the search engine index; not to hide something, but just so it wouldn’t be in the way.
I’m guessing ‘Anonymous’ here is 16, a /b/tard, and has only been to a few sites on the Hiddenwiki. That comment was so absurd that I’m surprised you responded at all.
I agree entirely kgiro, there is the literal definition of “deep web” as you mention, and then there is the likes of Tor that can also be “deep web” but they don’t represent the whole definition.
As for Anon, well everyone is entitled to their opinions and I’m also willing to listen and see if I can learn more 😉 Again some people believe that Tor is the whole deep web, but we know it’s not.
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Gyp
We all get lulled to thinking that the big G rules, but not when the dark net is involved. My input: http://www.findthatfile.com, a file based search engine (vertical ‘deep web’ search) that searches contents, extracts, internal metadata and almost every major source and file type from over 300 million URLs.
What a great read, thanks for taking the time and the bother. I’ve just heard all this stuff abut the “deep web” recently and I’m really skeptical, it seems like a hoax or something. Not because of the existence of the web itself, but because of the content of the myths. Even so, I stumbled across articles such as this one
http://brightplanet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/12550176481-deepwebwhitepaper1.pdf
wich seem fairly serious and claim that the the deep web is at least 400 bigger than the surface web, the quality of information is much greater, and the contents of pages are dynamically generated (wich doesn’t seem to be the case of coporations databases and the like, or am i wrong?) Is this all false, is this true and it applies to to the descrption you’ve posted, or what is it?
Sorry for the bad english
Hi Jose,
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
You mention the deep web being 400 times bigger than the surface web, I’d be tempted to agree. I think however it does include corporate databases and companies have much more information internally than they do on their websites. Hence my logic that the deep web will be bigger! Sharepoint is a big corporate product and it’s a website 🙂
Gyp
Hey guys!I have been exploring the deep web for a few days and i am in the position to mention that the things that exist there are really “heavy”. You will have to be prepared to see things that are “REAL” and not acceptable by society. You can see from drug,weapon dealers, hitmen, the worst scums of the planet like [redacted] and c[redacted], also atrocities like [redacted](!!!!),[redacted], [redacted] (and consider that even me i found it kinda “too much” and i am a [redacted] fan in surface web,being a member of any [redacted] site),but of course i realized that the “good” side of the deep web is much harder to be found. I ‘ve managed to find some great knowledge and I ‘m sure there is much more…I m not a hacker to go much deeper but I wish someone could help me to come across with the interesting part of the deep web and do not encounter all these hideous stuff each time I try to find something new.But anyway if you have a weak stomach or you are narrow minded never visit deep web..if you are seeking for knowledge and you are ready to put yourself in a challenge do it.I hope there were some people to track and hunt down to death all these child molesters…but usually nerds cant be vigilantes in real life…
Hey there,
Thanks for dropping by 🙂 Sorry for redacting some of your comment, I hope to have kept it’s meaning intact. Not words I want associated with my website.
As you mention I’m sure you can find some of that content on the surface web if you knew where to look. I think that they make it easier to find on the deep web, as opposed to hiding it on the surface web.
All the best for your future explorations!
Gyp
Hey everyone,
I’ve explored this “deep web”. I don’t think it’s the deep web. It seems to me that tor does not access the deep web. It’s just a secret part of the surface web. Kind of like a row of secret markets in an alley somewhere. I think the actual deep web would be sort of like a parallel internet. Constructed with different coding and perhaps hardware.
Minus
Hi Minus 🙂
Wow those are some interesting ideas! The reason many give tor as being deep web is because its not searchable by Google, and that pretty much fits the definition.
Happy exploring!
Gyp
Hey gyp! I’m glad i red your article and I found it great.
I started searching more on the topic since a friend was talking to me about the tons of information that could be found in the deepweb, but everything I found seemed like fancy tales of crazy who knows who algorithms and the location of the atlantis, etc.
I believe that the so called deep web is wrongly called that way since most of it stills being content that can be accessed through the surface, it is just that due to the “strong” content it is in purpose designed to not be reachable by search engines and directory crawlers.
The thing is that as far as I can perceive most of the information hidden is not information that will grant you any wisdom or anything like it, is not like finding the secret recipe to make gold out of stones as many believe, but instead a place to find stuff and videos that children shouldn’t be able to find by searching over google for obvious reasons.
What I really wonder is if people with great ideas or great knowledge would be willing to dig this knowledge or ideas and hide them from the common people to make it available for only those real deepest diggers..
Again thanks for the article!
salvitch.
Hi SR,
Thanks for dropping by!
I’ve also noticed that recently the likes of Tor has been made surface web with the likes of services of http://www.onion.to. So in theory Google can even crawl Onion sites straight from the surface web… So does that mean that Tor is no longer hidden? I don’t know the answer to that.
I think a lot of organizations “hide” knowledge and data on their private systems (which is good). The other option is that if I found some secret knowledge and had some commercial value, rather than hide it on somewhere like Freenet I’d be tempted instead to try and make some money from it…
Happy exploring 🙂
Gyp
hey dark web is simply a web of other information.
go deeper in the dark web
you can even buy an alien, a pet fairy and event examine the hell.
deep web is simply for exploring new whole information on using the internet.
go deeper in the dark web, lets see what you gonna say.
Hi Undead,
Thanks for stopping by!
Sounds interesting, however I am a bit of a skeptic and if you provided directions I may not be as skeptical…
Gyp
i think the darknet has no place on earth where you can sell gun`s drug human rights as a hole and have no cumback from the lore the sort of thing you get on the darknet pure evil and its a way of keeping drug dealer pockets lined with money and we all pay the price all of use if you need to hide when your on the net you shud not be on there and ar looking of a way to by sell and look and thing you shod get lock up for it’s about time something was done about it and not talking abut the small good thing you cant find or do it just doesn’t add up it is a criminal network run by criminal to make money and ruine the lives hundred of million people
Hi There,
Thanks for dropping by!
I’m imaging you are specifically thinking about the likes of Freenet and Tor here. From my understanding they were setup to offer anonymity and unaccountability to their users. With a setup like this I can understand why they are such an attractive place for the kind of situations you mention.
I’m sure if they ever become such a major problem then governments would possibly look to limiting access. But you are right it isn’t morally acceptable and the content you mention I’m sure can be found on the normal web too.
However blocking the other deepwebs, eg corporate systems would be a major step in the wrong direction.
Thanks again,
Gyp
Should I explore it? I really crave knowledge and things I wouldn’t be able to learn through a typical source. Where do I start digging? Can easily avoid the child porn or the other atrocities the show on there?
hi the deep/hidden/dark Internet is from what i have witnessed is mostly iligal/ilisit. most people on these sites are buying/selling drugs/weapons/assassinations/hacking software/stolen goods/[redacted]/forgaers and so much more that i havent acsesd because i font have the time. i cant see any legit reason to be on their. yes tor makes you annonamas but i think the risks out waghy the benefits. thanks for the stimulating conversation.
Very mature explaining, thanks
Thanks for the article. I found it quite enlightening about just what was the “deep web”. I liked your point about despite being enormous, the deep web contain far less interesting information than one would expect. Hell, my spam filled inbox is part of the deep web too i suppose!
Glad it came in useful for you. You’re right of course your mailbox probably fits the definition of deep web too! Had never thought of that one.
Thank you for the information! And to most everyone who commenting, thank you as well. The input really added to the argument.
I am researching the group/culture/movement, known as “Anonymous.” I have done a great deal of research, but my research has now lead me to the deep net. Can you explain the difference between the deep web and the dark net, if there is a difference? Someone who assumed the name Anonymous mentioned it briefly (Feb. 27, 2012) without specifying much.
Have a great day and Happy New Year!
Hey there Anon,
Happy new year to you too and thanks for stopping by.
The way I’m starting to think is that the “Deep Web” is the unsearchable, eg library databases, email boxes etc. Just about anything that isn’t on Google and there is a lot of it. But it’s not necessarily any fun.
The “Dark Net” (the way in which the media have started using the term) seems to be Tor, Freenet and i2p. Or any other encrypted point(s) to point(s) channel. These are used for various purposes and with various types of users and actively provide confidentiality to their users.
The interesting thing for me is Anonymous, which I see as being more social and political movement as opposed to a group. Yes I imagine there are some fairly static Anonymous member but I’d imagine it ebbs and flows as people take up specific interests. You see quite a lot of people taking up Anonymous persona all over the world.
Thanks again for taking the time to comment,
Gyp
Omg…I really wish the “anonfags” would realize the hit-men for hire and nuclear arms dealer type content is nothing but a joke on them…we made most of that stuff up to portray and give it the allure of a secret underworld rather than the mass multitude of useless boring information it really is…/b/
I see the surface web, deep web thing this way. Lets say I’m creating a website and storing some data, why would I choose deep web instead of surface? I came up with these reasons.
1. It’s illegal.
2.Govt. would kill me for posting it.
3. it’s just uninteresting data no one would be interested in(like employee databases)
4. It’s so damn fake that I don’t have the daring to post it with my real identity.(like Photoshopped UFOs, aliens)
5. I’m one of those 14-15 year old kids who would chat rubbish on everything like sex.
6.I’m a person with lots and lots of free time and some reasonable tech knowledge, and can do nothing but try things out.
So any normal person would at most be interested in point 2, and that would probably be 0.01% or less of deep web.
Can you come up with more possible reasons? what do you say on my view? do reply.
One more thing that I missed in last comment.
reading other comments, I think that few of close relatives are not the only people in the world that accept almost everything they read, hear as true. I, always believe that what I read, hear is intended to put me on wrong way, so I check it, verify it twice, thrice from respectable sources, and ONLY then I believe it. and this includes everything, ex. this post.
My own experience with deep web tells that your blog post is correct. Sadly all people don’t think my way.
Here in India, it’s speculated that every year 5000 billion rupees are spent on religious things like donations to temples, gifts to god,etc. This is more than what we require to fill the stomachs of every Indian for whole year.
I may be getting off-topic, but all that I want to say and ask is ” why don’t people use there common sense? why don’t they ask question on every fact and myth? why don’t they use the same logic and common sense they use while buying the best toilet paper when it comes to believing internet stuff or some fake images on fb? why?”
I feel pity on people like anon who don’t use there brain. That’s all.
Thanks for dropping by Aditya!
You make some good points, and I dare say I could imagine the motivation for each one.
I think taking the “traditional” approach to the deep-web in that organisations have internal systems (like your #3) that they don’t allow to be trawled by the search engines. This I am very confident makes up the vast majority of the size of the “deep-web”.
I think people like sensationalism and like secrets; and the two make the deep-web seem more exciting than it probably is. Or I should clarify it makes people think that the deep-web is just what they find on Tor, and it isn’t.
Thanks for taking the time to comment such insightful comments 🙂 All the best,
Gyp
Interesting stuff. Ive never entered the “deep web”, used “tor”, etc. If it is wisdom and truth you are searching for, wherever youre at in life….open your heart to Jesus Christ. This is not something you can learn online, it is something lived, experienced with each and every person willing to take this journey. Jesus Christ is truth….He is God YHWH manifest in human flesh and gave himself to save us from our sinful evil nature. If you dont believe this, you owe it to yourself to search this out and find real wisdom and truth. Read the entire Bible, Old and New Testaments….it is God who gives us wisdom and understanding. Love God/Jesus Christ with all your heart, mind, and soul…love others as yourself. “He who looks on a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” We are all precious in his sight….but we have to seek Him ourselves and He will reveal himself to us. There is a lot of deception passing for truth out there. “Blessed are those who do hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” We can hunger for “knowledge”, violence, sex, money, power, etc all we want but those things will never fully satisfy us. “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, to depart from evil is understanding.” Im 30, m, US, former alcoholic, former pornography addict of 15 yrs, disciple of Christ. We always struggle with sin, but Christ can cleanse us and strengthen us along the way.
Hi Scotty,
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I’m glad you’ve obviously found something worthwhile in your life.
All the best,
Gyp
Gyp, marry me =)
Hi Bea,
Awesome! Let’s set a date 🙂
Gyp
surface web is full of so much random crap and in only makes up 4% of the net, imagine all the random shit in the 96% percent of the net thats deepweb
Awesome point Jaqk 🙂
For everyone who is talking about the deep web and dark web and it’s disturbing content, loads of insane eye and mind opening information, drugs and arms trade, and contract killing…. please, save it.
1.) Contract killing and other services such as credit card scamming and the likes seem like absolute malarkey. Firstly, you will never be able to confirm any of these services will legitimately work for you seeing as how the prices are extremely absurd especially to be paying someone without any form of collateral. Secondly, if someone could scam for credit cards why would they sell it as a service. Why would these people even need a source of income from clients?
As for the drug and arms trade.. That shit should not be fascinating to anyone. These services I am sure work, but wtf come on? Are you that much of a loser that you can’t get off your fucking computer and buy your drugs from a dealer or guns from a arms trafficker?
Now on to the disturbing content.. Firstly, watching snuff films does not make you a bad ass or experienced moron. Try living in third world country where every fucking day is violence you pussies. You can see violent fucked up shit on liveleaks or bestgore on the fucking surface web.. Hell you can see disturbing shit when you flip on the tv and look at the fucking news. CP and ZP is just fucking lame if that’s what you find so interesting about the dark web go see a fucking psychiatrist, loser.
Last, but not least for the condescending pricks that think they have some how become enlightened from reading and seeing unconfirmed, sourceless, anonymously written and edited babble on the deep web really I think you should really approach everything with skepticism. I also highly doubt cthulhu and Satan are conspiring to shut your third eye by putting fluoride in the water as well…
Plain and simple what have we learned fellas? Basically the Internet surface and deep is fucking lame. Get a fucking life. Everything that seemed new to you on the deep web I assure you has been going on in real life with out the Internet as a medium. Fucking losers the deep web isn’t any more interesting than that hemorrhoid in your ass. This post was directed towards humanity to better out species and not towards a specific poster/commenter
Your handle of the Voice of Reason is most certainly that!
I agree with your reasoning and logic entirely.
Thanks for dropping by and commenting, hugely appreciated 🙂
Gyp
It is just simple everyone, if you want to see sick shit, go find a dark path in life somewhere and see where it takes you, didn’t find anything, still got a raging hard on to see some nasty crap, then go find another path in life just as dark. Too many are idiots, ruining your lives just to and by exploring and cheating your way to see things that are oh so unseen and cost more than your life to complete, if you want to see some sick shit and let one loose, build yourself a time machine and get off this planet, oh, and chances you will get blown up by full percentage.
I may not have seen this deep web and after reading those logical things you call pixel words above this, it is just simple, sick shit has been going on since man found fire and made stone with sticks on them, why bother repeating all this past shit. You’re just putting your life in a grave and you will be disappointing your loved ones as well as the rest of your family tree. GYP and literally the most logical fellows, thanks for this Deep Web Myths page, it gave me a step ahead from avoiding stupid things that have been repeated far too long on this beautiful creation known as The Internet, learning from other mistakes is not hard Web Surfers of Earth, when they say some shit is bad, you fucking listen up, get a brand and embed that onto your hand so you can be reminded that every time you try something stupid, it will cost a chunk of your life, even worse, the rest of it. It is never too late too learn from the good and bad.
ummm wow. really? you might want to look further than some article blog for the basis of your opinions…… your intelligence deficit kiiiinda shows (alot)
By the by, to anyone, just because some spell bad doesn’t mean it is the end of your unorganized disordered world, please, consider the following and read what your brain tells you, if it sounds like a normal sentence and your brain reads it like a normal sentence, good for you, now move on before you hurt yourself.
so a question for you, i just heard about this DEEP WEB so is there any interesting stuff to read, see or download there,
so far i heard it is a underground criminal haven web with access to very forbbiden material such as child porn, violent videos and of course im not interested in that crap
are there any positive usages to this deep web? is it dangerous? does contain virus?
or is plainly useless?
there’s definitely content that exists on the deep web but not on the surface web. i don’t get why you keep trying to assert that the surface web holds the same interest-worthy content, it simply does not and cannot.
at most you can say (and be valid) that the surface web is able to temporarily host a small amount of similar content occasionally.
censorship laws vary from country to country but many aggressively take down content they censor on a daily basis. the obvious ones people talk about are any site with blatant drug trade, exploitation of children and dangerous weapons/people/etc could never actually gain traction on the surface net without being taken down. these aren’t the only considerations though.
the deep web is used by outspoken and rebellious folks in oppressive nationalities to provide an extra layer of insulation between them and their oppressors. similarly there are forums where people discuss topics so taboo they wouldn’t dare reddit about it even through a proxy on a fake account. this is a place where the context is one displaying a more raw human nature and it has a value completely separate from the surface net.
you also seem a bit confused at time of writing on the dark net vs deep web, for instance your first idea is not really deep web material. “The only way you could get on is if the company in question gave you a log on.” One key aspect to the deep web, its not just all the junk that you dont see on the internet. Its an organically formed structure with its own hyperlinks made by people and its own search engines. You can extend some of the deep web to the dark net, but you cant extend all the dark net to the deep web. and saying someone’s got a surface net portal to their intranet doesnt count as either, thats just a secured surface net portal.
also on point 3. no one thinks that. well maybe you did at some point but i’ve never ever heard that and even if it was common its silly logic. obviously captchas are to prevent bots from hogging up your server resources, derp. just fyi humans are still much better and rooting into places they shouldnt get to compared to machines.
finally your responses to comments. CMON MAN!! TAKE A HINT! you were wrong about this article, dont defend it til ur blue in the face. learn something yo and edit or delete this thing.
hi, i would like to ask if the caimeo ai in the darknet is true?
cuz im bit curious and intrigue about it.
This dark/deep net discussions have created a great deal of attention especially with the vogue cyber scare that has hit the media. This reminds me of the characters/stories such as “chicken little” and for sure the sky is falling. I am attempting to try to understand this part of the Internet, but it becomes difficult to separate the idea that it exists as part of the Internet; or that it is some deep/dark/evil creature that is about to kill you or unborn children. The illegal aspects, such as hit men for hire, is a great example of a government sponsored sting operation. I would say that many of these types of postings are exactly that. If I were interested in finding the “bad guy” if you get my drift, what better way to do it, then put an ad in the paper or advertising on the web (deep/dark). I think this is just another part of the massive Internet that has morfed with technology. Additionally, the Internet can be tracked. The illusion of the dark net is merely a way to make you think that it can not be tracked. Hackers beware…. You can be found.
Just to have a really honest opinnion, I think there is stuff in the “darknet” or “deepweb” or “darkweb” that literally nobody can tap into it. If it hasn’t been discovered that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exists.
I came from a highly criminalized area (Ramnicu Valcea) and I can tell you for sure that even this little city back in it’s glory days had it’s own “secret society” where they used to hide all the good stuff. And it’s just one topic … it’s just 0,0001% of the criminal/illegal activities that goes around on the internet. Also, my friend …trust me, you can’t find these stuff on the surface web first because you never knew they existed until the media became interested in it and the fraud became global (world-wide). You literally have no idea what/why are people hiding stuff from. If you think you can find all the “stuff” in the surface web … I can’t tell how wrong you are :). And let me tell you, I knew this information 5-6 years before anyone heard of …until it exploded and that my friend …didn’t occured on the surface web and it goes back before 2000’s. Now put this on a global scale since a small little town had it’s own activities and literally exploded in the next years with more than 1 billion euros in fraud revenue. Would you have expected that? Well not even me, who lived there. The internet it’s more than corporate/promgrammer/gov data and to be really honest with you, I don’t even want to know …it will destroy the little faith I have in humanity. Even though, besides the bad part of the deep web organizations which can be from a small city to a big city/country … there is valuable information.
The kind of information that people love to share and that it’s not by getting few clicks on the ads, steping up in the search engines crazyness or simply sharing it for money one way or another. There is a tremendous ammount of information that simply people love to share and it’s up to you to see it/read it… and it isn’t packed in the modern commercial fashion it requires patience. You literally have no idea what people can do for money, for a good living and even the most uneducated people can become surprisingly inovative and in collaboration with some geeks ….amazing stuff can be acieved and that my friend, goes behind the curtains of the surface web. Even the mIRC Age hides some things that the regular public eye will never know. I’m in for exploring and knowledge …I earn enough from legal work but with the legit-good intended information from deep web I can acomplish more.
Hello, You are from romania ?, cuz i am too, know that deep web is really nice, but do you heard about shadow web ? i have some questions, if you are ok to talk, in private or something.
Hi there Anon,
No idea what that is sorry.
Gyp
Your average PC that you’re using to browse is, currently, when connected, a deep web data container per se. It’s part of the network, yet most of its data is not on its index.
Well, except your average Windows OS’s backdoors’ target data. 😛
all this deep web bullshit is total crap. and ppl are adorned by it like fucking [redacted] just got a taste of [redacted] for the first time.
go to a [redacted] forum, enter username and password, see info, share [redacted]. done.
go to gmail, enter username and password, check inbox, send email, done.
see? no? fo n d then. okbye.
can a lost website or webpage be found in the deepweb??? how??? metadata???
Hi Mark,
It’s a surface website you’re looking for why not try the Wayback Machine, as for if it’s a lost site on Tor of the ilk I’ve no idea sorry.
Gyp
None of these are urban legends. They’re just stupid little ideas you might have when using the internet. You don’t mention one instance of people actually talking about these ideas. Dumb read.
*myths, not urban legends.
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for commenting,
Gyp
Great article. I’m not going to scroll back up to check the names of the people I agree with, but I will say it’s the only ones who have any common sense whatsoever. The “anonymous” idiots who claim to have been “enlightened” or to have obtained increased intelligence from what they found on the deep web/dark net are just flat out childish. So I’m guessing that you took an IQ test and then went on the deep dark whatever and when you took another IQ test your IQ was remarkably higher??? But you don’t care to share your “secrets” with the rest of us? what an imbecile. From all the screenshots, articles, and links that I’ve read or followed, none of these fairy tales can be substantiated even slightly. That Silk Road guy, the cannibal guy, Jared from subway, sure they used the deep web but it’s not this impenetrable place with nearly the amount of horrific practices that people claim. Unfortunately, the quote, “Believe none of what you read and half of what you see”, takes a person with 5th grade reading comprehension and common sense to know when to use it.
Anyone please tell me … I’m a little confused.. Some say the “dark net ” is a myth .. Some say it’s real .. So which one is it ??
Hi Ghost,
TL;DR the older defintion of “dark web” isn’t what people tend to refer to when talking about it more recently,
Gyp
Good article… there are many myths about the Dark Web and the Deep Web.
Often people confuse the two.
The Deep Web is just non-indexed content (e.g. the content of your e-mail inbox, files behind secured websites, etc). Is the “deep web” huge compared to the “surface web”… probably yes, but not too much… most of it will be databases which people do not care about and other material. For example I am in research: if I want to read a peer-reviewed paper, I need to access with some credentials the journal website… while the abstract (summary) of the paper is in the surface web, the file itself is in the deep web and cannot be accessed without a login.
So… basically, EVERYBODY accesses the deep web all the time! Everytime you check your e-mail, or look at your private albums on facebook (the ones only you or only some of your friends can see), etc…
—
The Dark web is something different. It can ONLY be accessed using TOR (or similar software) and not by “conventional” browsers.
Is the Dark Web huge? Nope. I think there are only something like 30.000 websites in the Dark Web… MUCH MUCH smaller than the regular web. Also about 70% of those websites are there for illegal purposes. The most popular is selling drugs, but you find also illegal porn, killers for hire, extremists (like ISIS).
You also find things like wikileak files, whistleblowers, activists. etc… You can also find boring stuff too.
Basically the Darkweb is a tool to remain anonymous, either for some noble cause (eg exposing a government corruption) or for criminal activities (e.g. selling drugs or guns).
Regarding “secret amazing info”… nope… unless you count pictures of ghosts and aliens of the worst quality. I think you have a better chance finding “secret info” by browsing the most dusty corners of your city library 😀
Hi XYU,
Thanks for commenting 🙂 I agree with you 100%! We need more accurate definitions!
Gyp
Gyp
Nice article. I enjoy reading,learning and very much appreciate new ideas,theories and perspectives…
I have never commented on anything publicly before, but I do now to acknowledge YOUR kindness /respect / through all manner of different responces…I enjoyed the beauty in that even more than the article. The world needs more of it,I think!
-in the spirit of sharing opinions/perspectives. …
I say it’s good to explore as many avenues as possible to learn,& to broaden our horizons…. in doing so we may find knowledge, entertainment, ideas, some crap, some horrors,dead ends, liars..etc …that is life!human experience. ..the world & the web (deep or not) would obviously be no different.
-in my opinion, no one should assume anything in life,(especially if your going to go around “spreading” your assumptions,or judgments as facts or worse,treating others as beneath you for thinking/feeling otherwise,lol)..find out what you can for yourself,spread knowledge and kindness from the inside out!
Hi Kiki,
Firstly thanks for your kind comments. Second I agree, we always need to learn and improve ourselves it’s a very important thing we need to do in our human experience 🙂
Thanks again, your comments mean a lot to me 🙂
Gyp
You spelled organizations.wrong..
Hi Mik,
Thanks for dropping by. No I didn’t spell “organisations” wrong, you just did 🙂
Gyp
“organization” is American, “organisation” is British
The funny thing is people can be in control of certain cites and you ain’t getting in unless your invited or a good hacker… And yes you can find interesting stuff obviously theirs more than what you can get to Evan for the best sounds like you haven’t made it far other than common shit most people can get to!