Sort:  

You can use a public node if you want to just do testing or run small application, if you have an application that requires more resources than the public nodes can handle these are most up-to-date information (steem github page): https://github.com/steemit/steem/blob/master/doc/exchangequickstart.md and https://github.com/steemit/steem/blob/master/README.md
I may do a tutorial in the future about that, but I first gotta free up some space on my HDD.

Many of the tutorials concerning downloading the blockchain, which appeared in my searches, were over two years old with broken links. An up-to-date tutorial would be very helpfull, as you have been in this instance. Thank you very much!

Coin Marketplace

STEEM 0.17
TRX 0.16
JST 0.028
BTC 76556.14
ETH 2925.60
USDT 1.00
SBD 2.61