Key Features of the Software:
Onion Routing: Tor Browser, short for The Onion Router, is true to its name. It sends data through a layered circuit of randomly chosen relays, ensuring that tracking the original source becomes a monumental challenge.
Access to the Deep Web: Tor isn’t just about browsing the regular internet anonymously. It’s also a gateway to the vast and elusive deep web through .onion websites.
Strong Encryption: Before your data enters the Tor network, it’s encrypted not once but thrice, ensuring that even if a relay is compromised, your data remains unintelligible.
Technical Features:
Tor Circuit Visualization: This built-in feature lets you see the convoluted path your data takes, from your device to its final destination.
Plug-n-Play with Bridges: If Tor’s blocked in your country, bridges, which are less-known relays, can be your escape route.
Isolated Cookie Jars: Cookies, which can track users, are isolated. This means that cookies from one site can’t be used to track you on another.
Important Features vs. Potentially Unnecessary Ones:
The Tor Browser stands out for its rigorous emphasis on privacy. The automatic clearing of your browsing history upon closing and the stringent restrictions on scripts and trackers with NoScript ensure your online activities remain private.
However, some might find these features overkill. The frequent CAPTCHAs, necessary to prove you’re human and not a bot, can be a tad too frequent. Moreover, while NoScript is great for privacy, constantly tweaking settings to view a site correctly can be cumbersome.
Drawing Conclusions from a Month of Use:
Stepping into the world of Tor Browser felt like entering a realm where I held the cards. The knowledge that my online footsteps faded behind me was empowering. Accessing .onion websites revealed a segment of the internet that’s bustling beneath the surface, one that most remain oblivious to.
Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The very features that provide Tor its formidable defense can also be its own adversaries. The browsing speed, owing to the numerous relays, often reminded me of the early days of dial-up internet. There were times when I consciously shifted to regular browsers for tasks requiring swifter load times.
Additionally, while Tor champions the cause of unbridled access to information, it also becomes a playground for the darker facets of the internet. As a user, one must tread wisely.
In sum, Tor Browser is an exceptional tool, but perhaps not for everyone or every task. If unadulterated privacy is your beacon, it’s unparalleled. However, for routine browsing, especially if speed is a priority, you might want to juggle between Tor and other browsers.