How Do Seeders Profit From BitTorrent? 195
arcticstoat writes "As you may remember, a recent study claimed that just 100 users were responsible for downloading 75% of BitTorrent content, and were doing it for money, raising a lot of questions about the study. How do you profit from seeding, and how can the same 100 users be responsible for 75% of downloading and 66% of uploading. The details of the study are clarified in an interview with one of the key researchers, showing that the study's actual statistic is that 66% of the original seeds indexed on the Pirate Bay come from just 100 users, and these seeds then go on to account for 75% of downloads. The interview also details how it's possible for this small number of seeders to make a profit from seeding, via embedding links to their own indexing sites in the filenames and bundled TXT files, which then get money from advertising if downloaders decide to visit the site, assured of quality downloads. Meanwhile, other ways of profiting include 'premium' registered accounts."
Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
_AGAIN_ with this nonsense?
I strongly doubt anyone is getting rich from the trickle of people who actually go to the URLs found in torrent info files. They seem to be more for notoriety than profit.
Yes, the trackers make money of the ads.. but unless there is some secret backroom deal where TPB and others funnel money to axxo and friends.. I don’t see the corollary between index site traffic and motivation for users to seed.
People do it for the e-pene. People were (and still are) doing this on IRC long before there was any way to make a profit. People insist on keeping their share ratios up, even when not required... and they see no profit either.
And the interview doesn’t _detail_ anything. It quickly explains some very shallow “research” with plenty of bias, then makes a pretty dubious guess, and finally proceeds to make an even lamer admonishment of people who illegally download.
_AND_ using TPB and Mininova as your main source of data good grief.
This isn't a few guys who've had a look at what's happening on BitTorrent a couple of times and made notes
Weird... cause that’s exactly what it feels like. This thing reads like some high school kid’s half assed research project. They grabbed some data.. made a bunch of broad assumptions.. then proceeded to unsubstantiated correlations.
This whole “study” is a complete joke. If these researchers had any brains they’d just let this thing quietly die and move onto something else.
srsly? (Score:4, Insightful)
Misleading headline (Score:0, Insightful)
I don't frequent /. very often these days but whenever I do one thing always strikes me: "News for nerds" yet your editorial work IMO shows that you're losing touch with the "nerd factor" over time.
Take this article.. BT lives on seeders and leechers (who, during leeching, also seed though it maybe little). The headline includes /all/ seeders of a torrent whereas the article clearly speaks of "original seeders". There is a huge difference, but even that important detail is left out of the summary.
As to the study results themselves, I think they're flawed. The stuff I read only focuses on the amount of entries. Sure; some persons can easily be responsible for that. The real question here is who keeps those swarms alive, sometimes several years after the original upload (upload "into" the swarm so to say)?
The original seeders? I very much doubt that!
So why aren't those people counted?
Re:Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
someone who likes to pirate entertainment
I'm actually pretty good about paying for content these days.
As for research... this thing was completely torn apart the last time it graced slashdot. Ergo the top bit of my comment. The fact that these points have been brought up by a huge number of people, and from my recollection arn't even touched on by the study, to me shows that their research was pretty thin. They are the ones writing the study.. they should have researched why I (and the huge crowd who share the same opinion) are wrong and presented that.
Or here's an idea.. _actually_ talk to a file sharer. Someone managed to get an interview with axxo once.. so it's not impossible.
Re:Really? (Score:5, Insightful)
I admire the way you've cited good solid research in your rebuttal. If you hadn't backed up your statements about why "people do it," your comments would have come across like just another angry sounding, defensive opinion from someone who likes to pirate entertainment.
Note that the "researchers" making this extraordinary claim also cite no data, only speculation. Also, note that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. Honestly, if someone looks angry and defensive and out of touch with reality here it's you, not the GP.
Re:Really? (Score:1, Insightful)
>>>defensive opinion from someone who likes to pirate entertainment.
That's because I'm sick of buying SHIT on dvd or cd, and then the producer of this schlock refusing to take it back. Every other industry allows returns for cash or store credit. Hell even candybar maker says "If for any reason you are dissatisfied, return the unused portion for full refund." Why should music and movie makers be the sole exception to this practice.
So if I "pirate" Transformers2 or IndianaJones4 or some Yet-Another-Crappy Movie, it's only because I'm sick-and-tired of throwing away my money on lousy storytelling. I can't return this crap, so I download it first, see if it's any good, and THEN buy it on dvd.
Oh and I watch hulu.com too. Why not? ABC, NBC, CBS, etc are using the People's airwaves free-of-charge, so might as well enjoy the product they produce on OUR property. (Else we'll just revoke those licenses and give it over to Citizen Band - return it to the people.)
Re:Really? (Score:4, Insightful)
>>>You're over complicating this, don't watch pirated or otherwise.
Let me simplify it for you:
- buy Transformers2. Watch it: "Man that was shit."
- goto store: "Sorry sir you can't return this because you didn't like it." "Okay, but how about this Hershey candybar and DVD player? The bar tastes like wax and the player doesn't have S-video output like advertised." "Sure no problem." "That's bullshit that I can return other products, but not movies."
-
- Later: The company that made T2 releases Star Trek Reboot 2. I remember how this company already screwed me, so I download it instead. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." I won't be fooled again.