Why You Should Run A Tor Relay

Hoi Steemit! So you may have heard of this cool security tool called For. Now in case you (somehow) don't know what this is, it's essentially a cool decentralized proxy/encryption system. However, there are many people that use it, and since it's decentralized, it relies on volunteers. By default, you don't have to volunteer for the network, however, I would reccomend anyone and everyone that can volunteer to become a Tor relay.

Now there are 3 kinds of relays, Bridges, Middle Relays, and Exit Relays. Middle relays are the most common, they pass off the information from middle relays to other middle relays or the exit relays. Exit relays are what the source i p address looks like when you connect to a website or something. Bridges are different, though. They don't publicly announce themselves, so in case an ISP blocks Tor, you can connect to a Bridge to connect to Tor. Since no one node (relay) knows the entire chain of which your data is sent through, your data is untraceable.

Now since this network is so secure, millions of people use it. Without relays, the network becomes slower and slower as relays have to handle more people. Exit relays have it worst, as there are far fewer exit relays and 1000 relays handle 5 million people. If you use the Tor or even if you don't, volunteer your device as at least a middle relay or Bridge. If you want to volunteer as an Exit relay, be prepared for the legal consequences as it will look like you sent any traffic, and while (illegal) abuse of the Tor network has decreased, just be prepared. However, generally authorities check if an IP address is a Tor Exit Relay. Even if they do go to your house and confront you, just explain you run a Tor exit relay and show them how it works. You probably won't get in trouble. (I am not a lawyer is is not legal advice please don't take an internet robots advice for legal stuff please and thank you)

Anyways, run a relay, be dope, and don't take legal advice from strangers.

P.S. If someone could figure out how to incentive running a relay, then that'd be nice. Like a ceyptocurrendy with proof of relay.