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sf.me > Blog > Why You Should Torrent
Posted on: 16 July 2023
Reading time: 4 minCategory: Technology
I believe that everyone should download most of the files they use through torrents as much as possible. This is because of its philosophy to share and contribute. It has numerous advantages as well.
First, let's clear a few myths about torrenting.
No. Torrenting is not illegal. This is the most common myth about torrenting that scares people off. Torrents are a way to share files of all types and this also includes illegal files and copyrighted material. If you get caught torrenting files that are copyrighted, then the owner of the file has the right to take action. However, you torrenting a Linux ISO or a file that is in the public domain and free for anyone to use is not illegal. In fact, it is recommended to prevent censorship.
While there is some truth in it, it is not used only to pirate material. Torrenting is an amazing way to share files with numerous advantages.
Torrenting has numerous advantages, mainly:
Let us expand on the points. Firstly, torrenting is reliable because files are not hosted on a single source. It is common for websites to be taken down and the files along with it. This causes issues if you are looking for a file urgently but the websites that had the file are all taken down. Secondly, flexibility. If you download files normally from a web browser, closing the browser on accident or your laptop battery running out of charge will stop the download. After you turn it back on, you will have to start the download all over again. This is not the case with torrents as they take random pieces of your file from many people and piece them together after the download is over. This means that the order of the pieces do not matter while the file is downloading and it is easier to stop the download and continue it months later.
Torrenting has a speed advantage. If you are in Asia and the server you are downloading a file from is in the United States, you will have an incredibly hard time downloading it. The speed will be painfully slow. However, if you torrent the same file and it is popular enough, there is a high chance that someone near you is seeding the file. This means that the file downloads swiftly.
Torrenting is also a tool used to combat censorship. If there are any files that a government does not want its citizens to view, torrenting allows individuals from outside the country to share it with citizens of the government in question.
You can contribute heavily by torrenting. After you finish downloading (leeching) a file, you begin a process known as seeding. Seeding is a process in which you start sharing the file you have with other people. This is helpful for many people as, without seeding, there would be no torrents. The whole philosophy of torrents is to be a good person and share the files you have with other people.
Originality is also a factor in torrenting. With torrenting, you can be sure that a file is the same file that you should be downloading and that there is no modification or tampering with the file.
Do not pirate illegal content. ISPs will block your service after a few strikes if they take it seriously. Do not be a leecher. A leecher is someone that downloads a file from a torrent but does not seed it. If most people are leechers, then the torrented file is unlikely to thrive as leechers take and do not give back. Let your ratio reach to at least 1.05:1 to give back how much you take and also to allow for failed downloads to be compensated for.
Be smart when downloading torrents. Make sure you have enough disk space and verify and scan for viruses.
Torrents should be used whenever possible. They are reliable, fast, prevent censorship, allow people to contribute easily, are flexible and cannot be manipulated easily. Just keep in mind to give back to the community by seeding and do not download illegal media.