[tor-bugs] #3890 [Tor bundles/installation]: Applications should start using optimistic data

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#3890: Applications should start using optimistic data
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 Reporter:  nickm                     |          Owner:  erinn
     Type:  enhancement               |         Status:  new  
 Priority:  major                     |      Milestone:       
Component:  Tor bundles/installation  |        Version:       
 Keywords:  SponsorZ                  |         Parent:  #5456
   Points:                            |   Actualpoints:       
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Comment(by nickm):

 Karen's requested an eli5 explanation here.

 > So, we already went and implemented a feature in Tor that allows
 applications to begin sending data before they get a confirmation from the
 exit node that the connection has completed.
 >
 > That's useful, because for protocols where the client talks first, it
 lets the clients avoid a "round trip" in the connection setup time.
 Previously, there would be 2 round trips across the network for a basic
 HTTP request: one to connect and wait for the exit to say "connected", and
 then another to send the HTTP request and wait for an HTTP response.  But
 with this features, the connect and the HTTP request leave the client for
 the exit at the same time, and the "connected" and the HTTP respons can
 come back at the same time.
 >
 > But there's a problem: Applications don't actually support this yet.
 Even though the application is allowed to start sending the HTTP request
 immediately, most of them still wait for Tor to say "you're connected!"
 So this performance enhancement isn't getting used.
 >
 > If we come up with a workable solution here, it would let us improve
 applications (like say firefox) so that they start each connection faster,
 with less latency than they currently have.

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Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/3890#comment:11>
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