[tor-bugs] #1854 [Analysis]: Investigate raising the minimum bandwidth for getting the Fast flag

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#1854: Investigate raising the minimum bandwidth for getting the Fast flag
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     Reporter:  arma      |      Owner:  arma
         Type:  task      |     Status:  needs_information
     Priority:  normal    |  Milestone:
    Component:  Analysis  |    Version:
   Resolution:            |   Keywords:  performance loadbalancing
Actual Points:            |  Parent ID:
       Points:            |
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Changes (by zenaan):

 * cc: zen@… (added)


Comment:

 Replying to [comment:56 proper]:
 > Please consider the psychological effects.
 >
 >  * Please never let users who run Vidalia for years on slow connections
 somehow find out in press: your connection is considered too slow, you
 wasted one year of electricity running Vidalia with volunteer option,
 without volunteering anything.
 >  * In any case someone won't volunteer anymore: please show them a big
 fat warning, so they won't waste their uptime.

 We ought be mindful of the future - The future may bring exciting
 possibilities for even low-bandwidth relays:
  . parallel (torrent-like, i2p-like) pathways/cells
  . distributed data store possibilities
  . every relay a small encrypted (opt-in or opt-out) data store provider
 perhaps - I guess ala freenet, but different
  . distributed redundant hash table(s) - greater redundancy is usually not
 a bad thing for a censorship-resistant distributed data store, I
 thought...
  . build a network-of-trust (GPG sort of style) on Tor network - certain
 data models may depend on greater number of nodes in future, and be
 weakened by reduction of node count

 The point is - tor is not finished! We have a _long_ way to go to fully
 decentralise communications authority amongst the broader community. Let's
 definitely _not_ pre-empt our future by reducing possibilities.

 >  * As Paul suggested: please keep the numbers. Try to talk them into
 becoming bridges or just select them very rarely.

 Those who have a spirit of contribution, will be grateful they can
 contribute, even if only a little. In the future, they may be able to make
 bigger contributions.

 >  * And finally, please don't tell people, residential connections aren't
 of a big help, keep the community spirit alive!

 A big Ack!

 A small help is a big help, is what we ought to say!

 In addition: Building community, and building the future "more significant
 contributors" - which might be in many terms - financial, bandwidth,
 useful hidden services, brilliant ideas for future development, or even
 development itself. Every contributor starts somewhere!

  * Emphasize the genuine contribution directions, as said above such as
 bridge; I believe the website appears to do this pretty well now -
 anecdotal, but I recently became an exit relay, and the website's
 encouragement steered me there as "this is needed, especially full exits"
 (the website wording can still be improved here - less fear, more
 reference to established legal precedents regarding 'carriers' in various
 jurisdictions), to steer people in the most useful directions.

  * Parallel paths may make those slow relays useful in the future. So
 discouraging people to do something towards their freedom and others'
 freedom is counter-productive to the long term health of the broader
 community.

  * Contributer Graduation - building the community of those who wish to
 contribute, in time some will graduate to be bigger contributors.

 Again, future thinking.

 A small help is a big help.

 Everyone doing a little bit makes the future jobs easier.

 We have not yet solved all the problems, so definitely benefit from more
 people putting attention, action and in many cases future intention,
 towards our broader goals.

 Optimising bandwidth for current tor facilities is good.

 Maximising our community base from which future development and technology
 can build is very good.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/1854#comment:58>
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