What is the best practise?
At the moment i have 15k
Staking is essentially a form of "mining". It is how Proof of Stake coins run their blockchains. Instead of mining, using GPU's to hash out an algorithm, we instead use our wallets to uphold the ledger. By leaving coins in your wallet for over 24hrs and leaving your wallet open, you start to grow interest on the coins in your wallet. You earn 7% annually on whatever is in your wallet. When you earn coins, by staking, is dependent on your weight in the blockchain network. The higher the weight, the faster your wallet will stake.
Proof of Stake is mining, yes. When staking, you do process translations, you do verify the blockchain, and you are rewarded for doing so. Unlike Proof of Work mining, your reward can be and is guaranteed so long as you meet the requirements for staking. One requirement is meeting minimum staking age. Minimum staking age for EGC is 24 hours. Coin age does not accrue until after coin maturity. Your wallet does not need to be running for coin age to increase.
Another requirement is that your wallet not be fully locked. If you never encrypted your wallet, your wallet can not be locked and you can disregard this requirement. It is the best and safest practice that you do encrypt your wallet (Settings > Encrypt Wallet). After the wallet encryption process, you will need to unlock the wallet for staking to take place. When you unlock the wallet you will notice a check box in the password dialog window that allows you to either A) unlock for staking only (checked, default), or B) unlock for spending and staking (unchecked). If you unlock for staking only you will be prompted for the password again if you try to send. This is just an added layer of security so that coins do not get accidentally sent and is a safe measure to follow.
In simple words, just hold the coins in a running and unlocked wallet. You will collect payments towards your 7% annual reward. There is no maximum staking age for EGC. You will collect so long as you hold coins in a unlocked (for staking only or for staking and spending) wallet.
Your weight versus the network weight only determines the frequency of payments towards the 7% but, it will always be 7% no matter how low or high your weight is.
I hope that answers your questions clearly and accurately, Porsche911!