FACTOID #53: If you thought Antarctica was inhospitable, think again - its land area is only ninety-eight percent ice. Reassuringly, the other 2% is categorised as "barren rock".
Used by Tor users for services in which both provider and user is anonymous and difficult to trace
Registration restrictions
Addresses are "registered" automatically by Tor client when a hidden service is set up
Structure
Names are opaque strings such as 6sxoyfb3h2nvok2d.onion, generated from public keys
Documents
Tor design document
Dispute policies
See Tor abuse FAQ
Web site
Tor
.onion is a pseudo-domain-style address suffix (similar in concept to such endings as .bitnet and .uucp used in earlier times) designating an anonymous or pseudonymous address reachable via the Tor network. Such addresses are not actual DNS names, and the .onion TLD is not in the Internet root, but with the appropriate proxy software installed, Internet programs such as Web browsers are able to access sites with .onion addresses by sending the request on through the network of Tor servers. The purpose of using such a system is to make both the information provider and the person accessing the information difficult to trace, either by one another, by an intermediate network host, or by any outsider. Tor logo File links The following pages link to this file: Tor (anonymous network) ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Tor is an implementation of second-generation onion routing - an anonymity system enabling its users to communicate anonymously on the Internet. ... .bitnet was a pseudo-domain-style suffix used in the late 1980s when identifying a hostname not connected directly to the Internet but possibly reachable through inter-network gateways. ... .uucp was a pseudo-domain-style suffix used in the late 1980s when identifying a hostname not connected directly to the Internet but possibly reachable through inter-network gateways. ... Tor is an implementation of second-generation onion routing - an anonymity system enabling its users to communicate anonymously on the Internet. ... Web browser shortcuts on an Apple computer A web browser is a software application, technically a type of HTTP client, that enables a user to display and interact with HTML documents hosted by web servers or held in a file system. ...
Addresses in the .onion pseudo-TLD are opaque, non-meaningful strings which are automatically generated based on a public key when a hidden service is configured. PKC, see PKC (disambiguation) Public-key cryptography is a form of modern cryptography which allows users to communicate securely without previously agreeing on a shared secret key. ...
The "onion" name refers to Onion Routing, the technique used by Tor to achieve a degree of anonymity. Onion Routing is a technique for pseudonymous (or anonymous) communication over a computer network, developed by David Goldschlag, Michael Reed, and Paul Syverson. ... Anonymity is derived from the greek word ανÏÎ½Ï Î¼Î¯Î±, meaning without a name or name-less. ...
Onions (usually but not exclusively the bulbs) are edible with a distinctive strong flavour and pungent odour which is mellowed and sweetened by cooking.
Onions can be used, usually chopped or sliced, in almost every type of food, including cooked foods and fresh salads, and as a spicy garnish; they are rarely eaten on their own but usually act as accompaniment to the main course.
In the English vernacular, "an onion" is a difficult situation, the use stemming from the onion's tendancy to irritate or inflame the eyes.