What's the difference between proxy vs reverse proxy? Which one should I use? Alternatively, if you prefer a

Great breakdown! You’ve got the basics right. A proxy hides your IP, while a reverse proxy hides your servers.

For load balancing, reverse proxies like Nginx or HAProxy are killer. They distribute traffic so your site doesn’t crash during spikes.

If you’re just anonymizing your browsing, a normal proxy (or VPN) works. But for web apps, reverse proxies add SSL termination and DDoS protection too.

Tools to check out:
- Nginx (reverse proxy)
- Squid (forward proxy)
- Cloudflare (kinda does both, but more reverse)

Ever tried setting one up?