On 11/07/2014 10:26 PM, grarpamp wrote:

Is it not time to establish a node operator web of trust? Look at all the nodes out there with or without 'contact' info, do you really know who runs them? Have you talked with them? What are their motivations? Are they your friends? Do you know where they work, such as you see them every day stocking grocery store, or in some building with a badge on it? Does their story jive? Are they active in the community/spaces we are? Etc. This is huge potential problem.

I can't think of a good reason to do this, or why there is a problem.

Can think of quite a few negatives, the worst of which are related to the fact that NSA/GCHQ would like for Tor to go away. Something like what you describe would be a nice little tool for them to get useful-to-them personal info about Tor node operators. Even assuming that the node operators' identities are already known to the aforementioned agencies, how could feeding them juicy little details possibly help the situation.

It also kinda has "perfect environment for social engineering" written all over it. Who's to say that the most trusted-feeling people in such a group wouldn't necessarily be one of the infiltrating baddies. They are pro at this.