What is BitTorrent?

[alienationware]

What is BitTorrent? Is it similar to IRC? Do I have to sign up for a commercial server like Xdrive in order to use it? Is there a trial version of it? What is the most popular software to access BitTorrent? Does it contain spyware?

 

[ZER0X]

There are files you can download off sites that contain programs, games, music etc etc for free but to access them once youve downloaded them you have to have BitTorrent

 

[Christopher]

Basically, you connect to everyone you can to try and download the file you want the fastest (a la P2P). There are seeds (the people who have the full file you're trying to download), then there are peers (the people trying to download the file).

The "official" BT client can be found here, but one of the most popular (and best IMO) is Azureus.

There's the warez side of BT, but it's used a lot with other stuff too. Like downloading Linux ISO's etc.

 

[d_stevens3]

it is favoured by alot of people because by downloading from downloaders as you could say, you usually manage to gain your maximum bandwidth speed constantly unlike kazaa and other p2p's.

 

[guitarian]

the great thing about bit torrent is that when you install it, you practically will never see it (save for when you click on the link to a torrent file). once you install the software, it basically acts as a p2p network that's a lot harder for anyone to trace. so your downloads are a lot safer from people snooping around (such as the riaa).

you use the program by going to a torrent search engine and downloading a small torrent file that will activate the bit torrent program. once activated it will start downloading and feeding off what you've downloaded to other users as well. there may only be a few complete files of whatever it is you're downloading and a ton of bits and pieces of those complete files that are floating around back and forth to users. so everyone is compiling a complete file by downloading small portions from all users currently downloading the main seeds.