Does the bitcoin client do anything to protect the network?

[dancupid]

I know this must seem a stupid question to non-newbies, but I have a few bitcoins and I want to support the network to protect my bitcoins. If I constantly open my bitcoin client is it contributing anything to the network?  (I'm not mining or anything, and I read somewhere that it's just miners who check the validity of transactions - or at least that's the impression I got.)

[Graet]

no it doesnt.
but keep it secure, and take regular backups of your wallet.dat

[Gabi]

It contribute, because it costantly relay the blocks and the transactions. Since it's a p2p network, the more active nodes there are, the better. You are another node with a full blockchain on the network, one more from wich everyone can get blocks.


As for YOUR bitcoins, make sure you backup and protect your wallet.dat file