TOR asking to run snowflake to help Iranians with internet access
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Here's the link to the docker docs
wrote last edited by [email protected]I’m willing to do this but frankly tor intimidates me big time. I don’t know anything about it other than……. Yep that’s it.
I read through the mastodon post, and the project page, and cumulatively I didn’t get any answers that, like, make me feel better.
I assume this is a dark web node sort of thing? Is it safe for me to run the browser extension (idk shit about docker and don’t really want to learn rn), like I’m not putting a target on myself or anything? If yes to question 1, but no to question 2, what does put a target?
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Or just install the browser add-on.
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I’m willing to do this but frankly tor intimidates me big time. I don’t know anything about it other than……. Yep that’s it.
I read through the mastodon post, and the project page, and cumulatively I didn’t get any answers that, like, make me feel better.
I assume this is a dark web node sort of thing? Is it safe for me to run the browser extension (idk shit about docker and don’t really want to learn rn), like I’m not putting a target on myself or anything? If yes to question 1, but no to question 2, what does put a target?
wrote last edited by [email protected]-
Not a node, but a proxy. Entry node's IPs in Tor are publicly known, so they are easy to censor. With Snowflake you create a proxy (bridge) between a censored user and an entry node, and since your IP is not listed as a node, you help the user bypass the censorship.
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In theory, nope. But if the user is doing something bad, a prosecutor could argue you helped them to do so. I don't know about any case like this involving Snowflake, and I am not a lawyer. You could be a target if you were to host material, which is not the case with Snowflake.
In case it helps, I've been running the extension with no trouble that I'm aware of for a few years.
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Or just install the browser add-on.
Ofc! But since this is the selfhosting community I figured the Docker thing would be more practical. My laptop with the browser isn't always on.
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Not a node, but a proxy. Entry node's IPs in Tor are publicly known, so they are easy to censor. With Snowflake you create a proxy (bridge) between a censored user and an entry node, and since your IP is not listed as a node, you help the user bypass the censorship.
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In theory, nope. But if the user is doing something bad, a prosecutor could argue you helped them to do so. I don't know about any case like this involving Snowflake, and I am not a lawyer. You could be a target if you were to host material, which is not the case with Snowflake.
In case it helps, I've been running the extension with no trouble that I'm aware of for a few years.
wrote last edited by [email protected]Thanks for this!
Well I spent the time between when I posted and when you replied looking into various things related to tor, legality, and snowflake more specifically, as well as a bit after your reply since you gave me a couple extra things to look into.. (like if there’s a risk of running alongside self-host software like Plex and jellyfin, I didn’t find anything about it so I sort of assume it’s fine..?)..
I didn’t see anything overly bad other than if you yourself use tor, maybe, so took the plunge and.. have had a whole two connections already, so yay, I’m a snowflake!
I feel slightly better about myself, like when I started using BOINC crowdsource computing for research in the early noughties.
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Thanks for this!
Well I spent the time between when I posted and when you replied looking into various things related to tor, legality, and snowflake more specifically, as well as a bit after your reply since you gave me a couple extra things to look into.. (like if there’s a risk of running alongside self-host software like Plex and jellyfin, I didn’t find anything about it so I sort of assume it’s fine..?)..
I didn’t see anything overly bad other than if you yourself use tor, maybe, so took the plunge and.. have had a whole two connections already, so yay, I’m a snowflake!
I feel slightly better about myself, like when I started using BOINC crowdsource computing for research in the early noughties.
ike if there’s a risk of running alongside self-host software like Plex and jellyfin
I don't see why there should be any problem, as they use different ports. Plus I've had no troubles running a Jellyfin and Navidrome instances, plus some other self-hosted services alongisde Snowflake.
I'm really glad to have helped you :). Tor is very mystified, but an awesome tool, and very neat from a technical point of view. In case you haven't seen them, I recommend these 2 amazing videos from Computerphile: How TOR works and TOR Hidden Services
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Here's the link to the docker docs
People still use tor? There are a ton of negative articles about it
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People still use tor? There are a ton of negative articles about it
It's the best we have. What's your specific problem with it?
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Here's the link to the docker docs
And why? So that they then leak information, why everyone climbs where they don't need to, do not interfere with their lives, they themselves will sort out about their Internet, what kind of mania to climb everywhere, they will have to install it themselves if they need it... 🤬
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And why? So that they then leak information, why everyone climbs where they don't need to, do not interfere with their lives, they themselves will sort out about their Internet, what kind of mania to climb everywhere, they will have to install it themselves if they need it... 🤬
Wtf are you talking about, nobody is climbing anywhere. By running snowflake, you are offering a piece of infrastructure that other people can use, it's not specific to the Iran. They can't install it themselves if the local internet is censored, that's the whole point of this.
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Here's the link to the docker docs
can i do this on a Pi alongside with Onionshare?
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It's the best we have. What's your specific problem with it?
the ton of negative articles. /s
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Here's the link to the docker docs
I am always empathetic to my brother man's needs. I think we have a moral obligation to help those in need. However, I am not always sympathetic with their actions. It can be quite the conundrum. Yet still, I have nothing but love in my heart for my brother man, no matter who they are or what they are, despite my disagreeance with their actions.
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People still use tor? There are a ton of negative articles about it
Name something better
I suspect a lot of the negatively is state funded
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I’m willing to do this but frankly tor intimidates me big time. I don’t know anything about it other than……. Yep that’s it.
I read through the mastodon post, and the project page, and cumulatively I didn’t get any answers that, like, make me feel better.
I assume this is a dark web node sort of thing? Is it safe for me to run the browser extension (idk shit about docker and don’t really want to learn rn), like I’m not putting a target on myself or anything? If yes to question 1, but no to question 2, what does put a target?
wrote last edited by [email protected]It is a proxy that connects people into Tor. It is designed to be hard to block since many people run snowflakes
Number of snowflakes > number of users
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Not a node, but a proxy. Entry node's IPs in Tor are publicly known, so they are easy to censor. With Snowflake you create a proxy (bridge) between a censored user and an entry node, and since your IP is not listed as a node, you help the user bypass the censorship.
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In theory, nope. But if the user is doing something bad, a prosecutor could argue you helped them to do so. I don't know about any case like this involving Snowflake, and I am not a lawyer. You could be a target if you were to host material, which is not the case with Snowflake.
In case it helps, I've been running the extension with no trouble that I'm aware of for a few years.
wrote last edited by [email protected]Just don't run a snowflake in countries with heavily liability
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It's the best we have. What's your specific problem with it?
I’m not super deep into deep web stuff but I saw several articles online that talked about it being outdated, feds infiltrating it, stuff like that
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ike if there’s a risk of running alongside self-host software like Plex and jellyfin
I don't see why there should be any problem, as they use different ports. Plus I've had no troubles running a Jellyfin and Navidrome instances, plus some other self-hosted services alongisde Snowflake.
I'm really glad to have helped you :). Tor is very mystified, but an awesome tool, and very neat from a technical point of view. In case you haven't seen them, I recommend these 2 amazing videos from Computerphile: How TOR works and TOR Hidden Services
Thank you for your explanation and info. Will be setting this up later tonight.
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People still use tor? There are a ton of negative articles about it
So you read some articles but don’t have an understanding of what the weaknesses are? That doesn’t seem like a solid foundation to form an opinion on.
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So you read some articles but don’t have an understanding of what the weaknesses are? That doesn’t seem like a solid foundation to form an opinion on.
Several years ago when I was a little interested in the whole concept I read into the articles but I haven’t looked into these things since. It’s just what I remember from reading them years ago (around 2016) - that vulnerabilities in the tor browser have been exploited by feds, that they’ve managed to infiltrate nodes or some such, things like that. But the articles are probably still up there for anyone who’s genuinely interested in this
