Re: [Tails-dev] Doc : explain why Tor is slow

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Author: Vigdis
Date:  
To: tails-dev
Subject: Re: [Tails-dev] Doc : explain why Tor is slow
Le Mon, 12 Aug 2013 09:00:59 +0200,
sajolida@??? a écrit :

> On 11/08/13 23:10, Vigdis wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > First post on the list \o/
>
> Welcome aboard!


Thanks :)

> > I'd like to help in writing documentation (I've already been given
> > a lot of link about how to do it, don't worry).
> >
> > This ticket seems to be a good start :
> > https://labs.riseup.net/code/issues/5641
>
> Great.
>
> >> The best way to start writing those things would be to come
> >> up with a sketch of headlines, important points, structure,
> >> placement for the doc, etc. and send it to Tails-dev.
> >
> > headlines, important points, structure :
> >
> > - explication about Tor circuits
> > -- 3 hops
> > //maybe we can merge it with the next one :
> > - geographic size of the circuit -> latency
> > -- Tor takes nodes in different countries
>
> > - multiple round trip
> > -- Tor is TCP and TCP is three way handshake but Optimistic Data is
> > coming, waiting for 0.2.4 to be stable
>
> I'd not go into so much details. We try to require the less technical
> knowledge possible for people to understand our documentation.


Is that comment about the explanation about the circuit too ?

Because based on the pdf linked with the ticket :
"the authors theorize that users are given realistic expectations about
Tor’s speed, they will not attribute this lack of speed to an error. In
fact, this type of information may instead help users develop a more
accurate mental model. Thus, insted of becoming frustrated, users may
instead picture their packets traversing several nodes as they wait,
thus gaining a sense of security from the delays sometimes introduced by
Tor."

So that's why I went into little details.

> > -- Nodes are hosted on adsl which add more latency than servers in
> > datacenter/on FTTH
>
> I'd also explain that the network is run by volunteers in a
> decentralized way, so all nodes are not of the same quality.


Better said this way.

> > - Tor lacks capacity
> > /** I took this from this from
> > https://svn.torproject.org/svn/projects/roadmaps/2009-03-11-performance.pdf,
> > I don't know if it's still actuall **/
> > -- Help non profit like Torservers, Nos oignons, DFRI and so on.
>
> Sure. That goes along the fact that the network is run by volunteers:
> everybody can help building a faster Tor network; by running a node or
> helping existing nodes.


Good idea.

> > - Tor usage
> > -- Don't do P2P on Tor, there's I2P instead, and it's even shipped
> > with Tails :-)
>
> Ok.
>
> > placement for the doc :
> > it was suggested that it belongs rather to the tpo (torproject.org)
> > website but as long as they don't provide the possibility for
> > translation, we keep it in the Tails site and once they offer the
> > ability, we move it to tpo.
>
> Ok.
>
> > So where to put it in the wiki ?
> > - Doc/General Information (a.k.a about)
> > - another new part ?
>
> It'll be fine in there for the moment.


Ok.

> > The 'already existing' "Can I hide the fact that I'm using Tails"
> > and the future 'explain why Tails ships Tor' (issue #6018) doesn't
> > have (IMHO) their place in the 'about' part of the doc so maybe we
> > can put it in the about and once we have the three docs done,
> > create another part for them.
>
> Hmm... Until now we put in this parts documents that were not related
> to any particular piece of software in Tails and are not technical
> howtos. But I'm sure that can be improved. People have told us that
> the documentation index is a bit scary and hard to navigate.
> What other structure would you propose?
>

I didn't find any name, it's just weird that beside the Financial
report, there is 'why Tor is slow' :)
But firstly we can put it in General Info and once we get something
better, we can move it.


--
Vigdis