What is the significance when Googling gives you web site addresses that have tor dot onion or onion dot rip? I have never seen URL's formatted like that before just now.
You cannot access Tor services or onion sites using your regular browser. They’re part of the invisible part of the internet known as the deep web. Or, more precisely, they’re part of the Tor darknet. Darknets are the bits you hear about in the news; an allegedly lawless area of the internet where anything goes.
bobpursley: What do you mean by allegedly?
yes
allegedly = supposedly or not proven.
When you notice website addresses with "tor dot onion" or "onion dot rip" in the search results, it typically indicates that these websites are part of the dark web. The dark web is a portion of the internet that cannot be accessed using traditional search engines like Google. Instead, it relies on anonymity networks such as Tor (The Onion Router) to protect the identity and location of the users.
To understand the significance of finding such URLs in your search results, it's important to know that these websites are not indexed by regular search engines. When you search on Google, you generally receive results from the surface web, which is the visible part of the internet accessible to everyone. However, the dark web operates differently, requiring specific software and configurations to access its content.
To access the dark web, you typically need to download and use the Tor browser. This browser allows you to access websites with ".onion" domains anonymously. The ".onion" domain is a special top-level domain used for dark web websites. Similarly, "onion dot rip" is another alternative domain used on the dark web.
The dark web contains a mix of legal and illegal websites, including marketplaces, forums, communication platforms, and more. While some users value the anonymity provided by the dark web to protect their privacy, it is crucial to be cautious as it also harbors illegal activities and dangerous content.
In summary, encountering URLs with "tor dot onion" or "onion dot rip" in search results indicates that they are part of the dark web, which requires using the Tor browser to access them.