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

Dude, you nailed the difference!

Proxies are for hiding *you*. Reverse proxies are for hiding *your servers*.

Real-world use:
- Need to scrape data without getting blocked? Proxy.
- Running a high-traffic site? Reverse proxy + load balancer.

Tools:
- Nginx (reverse)
- Mitmproxy (forward, for debugging)

Bonus tip: Reverse proxies can also compress data to speed up your site.