[tor-relays] Call for discussion: turning funding into more exit relays

[Roger Dingledine]

On Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 05:14:44PM -0400, Andrew Lewis wrote:
> $100 is not going to cut it most likely

That could be. I look forward to learning more about the options. Another
approach to explore is subsidizing bandwidth, that is, if you find a
place that's $175/mo we can make it like it's $75/mo for you.

That said, if it takes $200/mo to get a good 100mbit exit situation,
and we can't get enough other ways, then we shouldn't rule it out.

I'm especially nervous about creating a culture where our volunteers
flock to super-cheap colos, generate a few abuse complaints and make
those colos hate Tor, and then move on to the next one. There's only one
Internet, and we want ISPs to like Tor. That means building relationships.

> People spend a lot of time looking for server hosting on the cheap

Yes. We need volunteers continuing to do this work.

> Finding providers is a pain, unless you can get them to SWIP your address block or otherwise reassign the IP address space abuse contacts to you. 
> 
> What are the requirements going to be on the exit nodes? Can the reduced exit policy be used?

The sponsor wants 80, 443, 554, and 1755 open. I guess 554 and 1755
aren't in the standard reduced exit policy, but it's mighty close.

> And last of all I'd love to volunteer if you go the individual
>route, I ran an exit node before and know what it entails, FBI visits
>included.(Which is a separate and very real issue, equipment gets seized
>and doors get knocked on, make sure anyone going into this knows that).

We as a community need to continue to interact with law enforcement
groups to educate them about how this Internet thing works. I've had
great conversations with law enforcement in Germany, Sweden, and the
US, and I'm working on setting up meetings later this year with Dutch,
Belgian, and Austrian law enforcement groups. Andrew Lewman (our executive
director) is off to an Interpol meeting in a few months, to teach them
about Tor. We need to make it more than just a few of us though.

--Roger