The group's prototype notices when a laptop wakes up or when an office PC's screensaver switches off. All this access seems to call up a specter of privacy invasion. People could program the proxy to put messages through at designated times. I might create a rule that only sends stuff to my pager if it's from the daycare. If my daughter's fallen off the jungle gym, I need to be there.
Security also can be a concern.
To minimize this possibility, the proxy software is first installed in a trusted location, either the Internet service provider or the user's home computer, if that's secure enough. Passwords and other authentication are required to change the rules for the proxy. Right now, Baker's group is focused on creating a novel identification system anyone could use to contact your personal proxy. Identity is fluid in the constantly shifting Internet, where e-mail aliases and addresses pop in and out of existence. Somehow, the word sets need to be authenticated and updated.