[el chupacabra]

I just discovered this thing today. Its crazy. I know its been around for a while I just never payed attention. I was looking for some software package on google and one of the first hits was a link the software title.torrent. Basically a few clicks with a browser and people can pirate anything more easitly than ever. Way More easily than buying it.

How can something soooo illegal and sooooooooooo easy not be shut down?

[Chuckit]

Because BitTorrent is not a centralized network, and shutting down every computer on the Internet just didn't seem practical.

Oh, and BitTorrent sucks for ease of "piracy" because after a while people stop seeding things, so you can't get crap if you don't check all the trackers religiously. (I put "piracy" in quotes because the stuff I usually want isn't pirated software or anything like that.)

[Ratm]

It's partly centralized. The torrent files that you download initially are created by BitTorrent. They have information that tells you the user from whom you need to get the file and on what server you'll need to go through to connect to this user. Although now Azureus has the ability to maintain the downloading connection incase the server breaks down or gets shutdown.

Since they're only hosting the torrent file and not the actual program or movie there is nothing illegal about it. Although you need to understand that your IP address is not encrypted and will be visible to anyone that's connected to you. Azureus has a safepeer plug-in that prevents known MPAA, RIAA, government agencies computers from connecting to you. It's not full proof but...

http://azureus.sourceforge.net/
Detailed explanation on Azureus and bittorrent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azureus

Safepeer plugin
http://azureus.sourceforge.net/plugi...lugin=safepeer

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Ratm

It's partly centralized. The torrent files that you download initially are created by BitTorrent. They have information that tells you the user from whom you need to get the file and on what server you'll need to go through to connect to this user.

Yeah, but BitTorrent as a whole still isn't centralized. Trackers are to a degree, but BitTorrent is essentially just a protocol.

[King Bob On The Cob]

How does bit torrent exists?
ask Blizzard they use it to distribute patches for WoW...

[analogika]

OMG you can download the internets on MAC now=??????

[el chupacabra]

Originally Posted by analogika

OMG you can download the internets on MAC now=??????

I hate it when people say "MAC"

hmm.... well should I go turn into a PC pirate and get me hooks on limewireProooo+sn???!!1!!11! Arrrr

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

Yeah, but BitTorrent as a whole still isn't centralized. Trackers are to a degree, but BitTorrent is essentially just a protocol.

I did say partly. But without the server to host the BT files its basically useless technology. The supernova people are trying to come up with a way to get around this but it really hasn't gained in popularity. Maybe that's change from the last time that I've used it tho.

[nredman]

bit torrents work for me but take forever to download

[analogika]

Originally Posted by nredman

bit torrents work for me but take forever to download

Do you have ports 6881-6889 open in your firewall, or have the ports forwarded in your router?

[Cubeoid]

BT rawks!

[ShotgunEd]

Originally Posted by Ratm

It's partly centralized. The torrent files that you download initially are created by BitTorrent. They have information that tells you the user from whom you need to get the file and on what server you'll need to go through to connect to this user.

I thought anyone could create a torrent file?

There is no 'they' when referring to BitTorrent, its just a protocol invented by that guy and his kid in the payment request pop-up in the official client.

[Xeo]

Originally Posted by analogika

OMG you can download the internets on MAC now=??????

If I were drinking something it would have just come out of my nose.

[cpt kangarooski]

Ratm--

Since they're only hosting the torrent file and not the actual program or movie there is nothing illegal about it.

That's untrue. Hosting the torrent file is illegal, as an indirect infringement. Providing a BT client is what is not illegal -- provided that there is no inducement involved. At least, this is the case in the US. YMMV elsewhere.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by analogika

Do you have ports 6881-6889 open in your firewall, or have the ports forwarded in your router?

And make sure you aren't intentionally choking your uploads or anything. Part of the BitTorrent protocol is that clients are most generous to people who are giving a lot. If you're not uploading anything, it won't be surprising to see download speeds of 1.6 KB.

[Rolling Bones]

Azureus is better than BitTorrent.

[Rolling Bones]

Originally Posted by cpt kangarooski

Ratm--
Hosting the torrent file is illegal

Depends on what it is.

[Ratm]

hmm...well considering that all webmasters specifically make a note to say that there servers don't actually host the files—it's the loop hole they need to get around copyright.

And if you've been reading the ongoing story involving Supernova and all the legal drama—this site was a place where you could find movies, music, application—in the end he was never charged with any crime. You can read it for yourself on his site of what's been happening since supernova was closed down.

NN forums censors supernova links so just delete the space between super and nova.
http://www.supr nova.org/?op=showLong&aID=80

[cpt kangarooski]

Ratm--

hmm...well considering that all webmasters specifically make a note to say that there servers don't actually host the files—it's the loop hole they need to get around copyright.

Again, in the US at least, merely not hosting the files isn't good enough. Napster didn't host files, and they were successfully sued. Grokster didn't host the files, and they were successfully sued as well.

If A helps, allows, or induces B to engage in copyright infringement, A can be held liable, if the circumstances are right. In the case of hosting torrent files (where using the file would be infringing, RB) the circumstances are pretty certainly right.

[OreoCookie]

In the Open Source scene, bittorrent is very popular to share iso images. Bittorrent doesn't have just illegal applications.

[Salty]

Not to mention it's not necessarily illegal, might be in the states but not all of the rest of the world is one of your states.

[SirCastor]

Blizzard doesn't just update over a torrent, they distributed the preview video for Ghost, which, I might add, is sweet.

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by cpt kangarooski

Ratm--


Again, in the US at least, merely not hosting the files isn't good enough. Napster didn't host files, and they were successfully sued. Grokster didn't host the files, and they were successfully sued as well.

If A helps, allows, or induces B to engage in copyright infringement, A can be held liable, if the circumstances are right. In the case of hosting torrent files (where using the file would be infringing, RB) the circumstances are pretty certainly right.

Yeah, I guess I was under the impression that most of the popular BT sites were located in the U.S.
I'm very eager for the P2P wars to be over already. And for these companies to finally give up or at least deal with the realities of the moment. To force them to come up with a distribution system that competes and is fair to the end user— similar in nature to Apple's iTunes Media Store.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by analogika

Do you have ports 6881-6889 open in your firewall, or have the ports forwarded in your router?

thats kind of old hat at this point. i have a single port open, use the most recent version of the bit torrent software for mac osx, and run all my bit torrent traffic through that.

and its not from 6881-6889. the important part is are your ports forwarding the traffic properly?

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

And make sure you aren't intentionally choking your uploads or anything. Part of the BitTorrent protocol is that clients are most generous to people who are giving a lot. If you're not uploading anything, it won't be surprising to see download speeds of 1.6 KB.

So, crime DOES pay.
Does it mean that you have to keep the Torrents open and active long after you are done?

[analogika]

Originally Posted by scaught

thats kind of old hat at this point. i have a single port open, use the most recent version of the bit torrent software for mac osx, and run all my bit torrent traffic through that.

and its not from 6881-6889. the important part is are your ports forwarding the traffic properly?

huh?

Doesn't BitTorrent still run on 6881-6889.

Last I heard, reducing the range of ports will slow down BT.

Has something changed?

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by The Godfather

So, crime DOES pay.
Does it mean that you have to keep the Torrents open and active long after you are done?

It's considered rude not to keep seeding until you've seeded at least as much as you've downloaded, and some trackers will penalize you if you don't, but there's nothing in BitTorrent itself that forces you.

[scaught]

Originally Posted by analogika

huh?

Doesn't BitTorrent still run on 6881-6889.

Last I heard, reducing the range of ports will slow down BT.

Has something changed?

ey.

it CAN run on those ports. the presets for most bittorrent apps is to run on those ports.

it used to be that bit torrent apps (including the original bit torrent app) could only run ONE torrent for each port opened. more recent versions allow you to run all traffic through one port. AFAIK, this doesnt slow anything down.

one of the communities i belong to (indie torrents) makes users pick a different port than one within that range because cable providers/etc are looking for activity on those ports. the port i use is in the 49000 range. i havent experienced any change in speed or anything.

again, forwarding your traffic to that port is the more important part. i dont know man, it works for me.

[Athens]

I still use limewire for most things, bittorrent is ok for new things but sucks on older stuff. And I hate trackers.

[Millennium]

One: BitTorrent itself is not illegal. No file-sharing services are. It can be used in illegal ways -indeed, most of its users do use it in illegal ways- but unlike most file-sharing protocols it has also gained a strong following of people using it for legitimate stuff. This makes it harder to criminalize, because the phony "it's illegal" argument is much easier to shoot down.

Two: BitTorrent is not a file-sharing network, in and of itself. You could say that individual trackers act sort of like filesharing networks, but there is no one overarching network. You can't shut down a network that doesn't exist in the first place, and even if you shut down one tracker, another pops up.

Does it mean that you have to keep the Torrents open and active long after you are done?

You don't have to, strictly speaking, but it's considered rude if you don't. The file itself is usable as soon as you finish downloading, so you can use the file at the same time that you "seed" it (that is to say, keeping the torrent file open).

[Athens]

I generally leave it open long enough to upload twice the amount it took to download it so that im not being rude But I dont leave it open for say days at a time.

[el chupacabra]

I wonder what stops companies from making "fake" software that crashes your computer and then seeding it on bit torrents.

[Rolling Bones]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra

I wonder what stops companies from making "fake" software that crashes your computer and then seeding it on bit torrents.

Illegal and getting their pants sued off, maybe.

[The Godfather]

^ The file has a checksum. If the file becomes corrupted through a malicious seeder, the file will not mount. Problem solved.

[The Godfather]

Originally Posted by Chuckit

It's considered rude not to keep seeding until you've seeded at least as much as you've downloaded, and some trackers will penalize you if you don't, but there's nothing in BitTorrent itself that forces you.

Originally Posted by Millennium

You don't have to, strictly speaking, but it's considered rude if you don't. The file itself is usable as soon as you finish downloading, so you can use the file at the same time that you "seed" it (that is to say, keeping the torrent file open).

Originally Posted by Athens

I generally leave it open long enough to upload twice the amount it took to download it so that im not being rude But I dont leave it open for say days at a time.

Leaving the Torrents open. Won't they increase your liability (risk) of getting the attention of ISPs in bed with copyright lawyers?

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by analogika

huh?

Doesn't BitTorrent still run on 6881-6889.

Last I heard, reducing the range of ports will slow down BT.

Has something changed?

Those ports are recognized by ISPs and they've been known to block or slow down a persons
up and down speeds.

Azureus uses 49152 and you need to forward the port in your cable or dsl modem and routers. For me Apple's firewall slows the speeds when it up so I turn it off when I'm downloading files.

Read the Wiki info I posted. Provides good info for positive results.

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by The Godfather

Leaving the Torrents open. Won't they increase your liability (risk) of getting the attention of ISPs in bed with copyright lawyers?

I've never heard of an ISP providing this kind of info to these people but your ISP may be different about these things. I leave mine open all the time and they've never contacted us about anything concerning this.

[macaddict0001]

Originally Posted by Rolling Bones

Azureus is better than BitTorrent.

Azureus is a BitTorrent client not a p2p network so it is not really competing. As far as the standard BitTorrent client goes Azureus is far better. but if you don't know the difference between an ip address and an ip port Azureus may not be for you.

Originally Posted by el chupacabra

I wonder what stops companies from making "fake" software that crashes your computer and then seeding it on bit torrents.

Its called a virus and its mostly illegal.

[Ratm]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra

I wonder what stops companies from making "fake" software that crashes your computer and then seeding it on bit torrents.

They tried some tricks like uploading a file that never completed 100%—so you stayed there downloading for like, ever stuck at 99.9%.

Sending bad packets of information that complicated the download so in the end it never worked. You had to find another source and have it replace what did not belong. But I think they figured out how to prevent this now. Didn't take long.

[JoshuaZ]

Yeah, too bad there are still a ton of torrent sites, and that bittorrent is a great way to spread legal files as well.

[nredman]

Originally Posted by analogika

Do you have ports 6881-6889 open in your firewall, or have the ports forwarded in your router?

can you even tell where those ports are in your system prefs?

[analogika]

Originally Posted by nredman

can you even tell where those ports are in your system prefs?

[olePigeon]

I use it for downloading TV episodes. I think that's in a gray area right now.

[black bear theory]

you can download old movies that are in the public domain from this site:

http://www.publicdomaintorrents.com/

might not be the best movies (i'm watching "warhead" now - looking forward to "the uranium conspiracy) but it sure beats nothing when the netflix aren't coming in. also, another legal torrent site with music, movies and text.

http://www.legaltorrents.com/

bbt

[Apple Pro Underwear]

Originally Posted by el chupacabra

How can something soooo illegal and sooooooooooo easy not be shut down?

is it illegal?

some people and businesses have embraced it as a tool. this contributes to people not being able to "shut them down". hahaha, bitches!

[ironknee]

i have 2 videos of steve jobs that i want to create bts

but i have no idea what's going on...

1) in bittorent i generate a .torrent file
2) i upload the .torrent to a site
3) i download the .torrent file and download the file to seed...see this is where i get stuck...it never downloads...any help?

it's good video from 98

[macaddict0001]

Originally Posted by ironknee

i have 2 videos of steve jobs that i want to create bts

but i have no idea what's going on...

1) in bittorent i generate a .torrent file
2) i upload the .torrent to a site
3) i download the .torrent file and download the file to seed...see this is where i get stuck...it never downloads...any help?

it's good video from 98

You need to have a tracker that allows you to seed only such as azureus and then instead of opening it you choose file-open-torrent for seeding only. you can also use superseeding which sends the file to people who have the most upstream bandwidth.