Nice article. A really cool ssh feature is the integrated SOCKS proxy which you start with the -D option.
Just run
ssh -D1080 me@remote.host
and it will start a SOCKS proxy on port 1080 and will forward all requests via the remote host. Change the proxy definition in your browser (foxyproxy ftw.) and you are done.
It is really useful if you want to access virtual named hosts behind remote servers or just want to specify the uri instead of fiddling around with ports.
It's even more useful than that! Some coffee shops restrict traffic over port 80, but don't touch 22. So set up a SOCKS proxy and you have free internet. Tethering to T-Mobile and getting sick of them downsampling images for you? Start up a SOCKS proxy -- they can't downsample what they don't see. Or just in general, if you're on any WiFi network that you don't trust, set up a SOCKS proxy and tunnel everything through it.
It is really useful if you want to access virtual named hosts behind remote servers or just want to specify the uri instead of fiddling around with ports.