When I install and run Bitcoin-Qt, am I considered a 'node' of the network?

[szangvil]

If not, what do I need to run so I can be a part of the network and contribute to it?

[JackMack96]

Bump

[CIYAM]

Assuming that your client is connected to the network then you already *are* part of the network (if you want to help out more then make sure your port is accessible from the outside).

(btw - bumping so quickly after posting is not considered good form - patience is rewarded)

[CaptainAK]

Define 'node'..   When you run the Bitcoin client, you are getting the same blockchain as everyone else. It is probably not doing anything special though. You could try mining against it directly, but unless you have some SERIOUS hashing power, you will probably never get anything. You could also try running bitcoin client and P2Pool. That would get you set up with a pool as a smaller node. Your chances of getting a share (which could still take a while) go up significantly.

If neither of those appeal to you, then you should just consider mining against a pre-existing pool and not bother with the Bitcoin client at all. Just run a miner and the whole thing would be a lot simpler.

[szangvil]

Thanks.

[DannyHamilton]

Define 'node'..   When you run the Bitcoin client, you are getting the same blockchain as everyone else. It is probably not doing anything special though.
- snip -

Actually...

It's receiving and relaying transactions and blocks acting as a conduit for both to work their way through the entire bitcoin network.
It's validating that every transaction it receives meets the protocol requirements before relaying it to peers.
It's validating that every block received meets the protocol requirements before adding that block to it's own copy of the blockchain and relaying it to peers.

[TooM]

I guess that is the meaning of p2p

[CaptainAK]

You're right Danny, but that is why 'node' needs to be defined. It is always providing validation and forwarding, but a persons intent is important to the question: mining node or transactional node. It does 1 (transactional) automatically, but if that is not why you are running it (you plan on mining), then just running the client doesn't really do anything.