Why not make an image that has an install wizard to set nicknames etc, and keeps other settings up to date to best current practices?
I think this could be a good idea, within the Tor installation panel you could structure a page that firstly contains the question “Do you want to contribute to the Tor network?” and then you could structure it in more detail starting perhaps with a Middle node.
- You MUST have read the manual...
I also agree with this, but probably if we are talking about a Middle node, so a node that exposes neither the user of the node nor the creator of the node, then some sort of standard setting could be provided.
If a user at installation decides they want to contribute it might be a good time to delve into this wonderful world. I often hear some people who think that “Contributing to the Tor network” is complex and “hacker stuff” but maybe they just don't know how to do it (besides not knowing the meaning of hacker) and, therefore, it could not only be useful to the network but would help people educate themselves by putting manuals and guides on display nicely.
But the most important thing, for me, is that in addition to manuals and guides they are given the opportunity to contribute, at least for those who think they don't already have that opportunity.
Think about Tor Browser, it is obvious that right now Tor Browser does a lot more than just routing traffic, but when it was born it did not have all this functionality. They make it extremely easy to use Tor many people now believe that Tor is only usable through Tor Browser and they don't even know that it is a proxy so probably including this possibility in the installation phase could give this help to all those users who would like to contribute but trivially don't know how to do it... Snowflake also comes to mind...
-- Aleff