Battleangel

I know I’ve been raving on about this before but it’s time for another example of how “friendly” P2P communities can go awry. Or embrace the future. Whatever you want to call it.

Technology is one thing, but it’s not technology that makes a P2P network great. It’s the people who use it. It is without a doubt so.
Keeping the friendly face while environmental pressure and security are stiffening can be a circus act. Now consider these trends from two separate P2P systems and why they fail … but succeed at drawing my wrath.

BitTorrent community. Registration required. Userbase = 60.000+

Disagreeable rules imposed:

• Tracker implements a ratio-related waiting period for each torrent. For example if you currently have a ratio below 0.50 and/or upload below 5.0GB the delay will be 48h. Way to go you elitist asshats. While some kind of ratio control is good, this is no way to greet new members. 500MB or 1GB would have been a better limit.
• Only specially authorized users (Uploaders) have permission to upload torrents. You have to contact them to become an uploader. Rules include:
  • include a proper NFO
  • genuine scene releases. If it’s not on NFOrce then forget it! (except music).
  • not older than seven (7) days
  • have all files in original format (usually 14.3 MB RARs)

Where should I begin? Just release the damn files and stop being so goddamn anal about it. This of course also means that normal and sane people cannot easily amend the quota thing. I think it’s time we stopped thinking “original format”. Great idea 10 years ago when file transfers meant shaky FTP connections.

DC hub. Registration optional. Userbase = 800+ in hub at any given time. Like so many Hubs they have a registered only club. One where the rules are tenfold stupider. It is no secret that they will kill off the old hub the moment they feel they have enough members. And registration depends on a number of arbitrary rules.

Disagreeable rules imposed:

• Only original releases. No ISO, BIN etc.
• No pr0n
• No sharing of racist material.
• Original releases must not be renamed.

Obviously I cannot agree to these terms. I can’t stand original releases, I don’t see what is so wrong with pr0n, I have on several occasions been banned for “racist music” (stupid and narrow definition) and I can’t stand having original music releases look like “09-damageplan_feat_jerry_cantrell-ashes_to_ashes-rns.mp3″. That just gives me the creeps. I also have a habit of fixing bad ID3 tags which I guess is even worse since it screws up the ability to resume properly.

Put simply. Is this the way we want to be going? I totally understand the need for tighter communities but I also feel that the people running these communities are falling for the oldest trick in the book. Totalitarian control, riddled with censorship and reprimands. External pressure is making internal environment intolerant. Is that the way we want it? Is it worth it all? And wont it in the long run mean the end of the idea of file sharing? Is it not a lethal paradox as such?