What is the real power of bittorrent? Is it the fact that we can get blazingly fast download speeds? How bout the fact that it’s completely decentralised and thus that much more difficult for the copyright gestapo to shutdown? Maybe, it’s the awesome communities that have developed throughout the private tracker world? I know! It has to be that fact that it’s free, the ability to get something for nothing right? Well actually it’s none of these. They’re all well and good in their own right, and each incredibly beneficial to all of us. But none of them is the real power behind bittorrent. BT’s real power is in your head. It’s in you, it’s in me and it’s in anyone who consumes content.

In order to really get this concept we have to examine why we watch movies, read books, listen to music and consume content in general. We do so because that content elicits an emotional response within us. Movies make us laugh, they make us think and some even make us cry. The music we listen to inspires us and the books we read give us the freedom to be almost anything we want. Regardless of the content choice, one thing is for sure. It’ll make us feel something. And, it provides a little bit of an escape, something that most people in this day and age desperately need.

As kids, we are totally in touch with our imaginations and we can do anything. A cardboard box becomes a fort or the ground below is molten rock and you’ll die if you touch it! That set of Mom’s old couch cushions can be made into a rocket that’ll fly you to the farthest reaches of outer space! We could do it all, and without even trying. But eventually we grow up and, as adults, we lose that ability. Now, the closest things we have to help us get back there are the movies we watch, the songs we listen to and the books we read.

Recently, I’ve had the privilege of joining a tracker that’s helped me get back in touch with my imagination and, in turn, my childhood. In case you don’t know, Cartoon Chaos is a niche tracker that is, as the name states, dedicated to tracking animated content. Recently I’ve snatched a number of series packs that allowed me to be a kid again. Some of these shows I haven’t seen in easily two decades, so it was quite an awesome experience to get my hands on them. While they’re playing, all the pitfalls of adulthood seem to melt away. It’s been a rough year, and being able to rekindle those feelings was exactly what I needed.

That experience is why we download. It’s the joy and memories that those torrents bring. When I double-click that episode of Thundercats, I’m back in pre-school and life is simple again. That’s the true power of bittorrent. So to Cartoon Chaos and mkdgraham I say thanks and keep up the good work. Let’s keep those memories coming.

-ryedawg

As we approach that time of year when the leaves begin to fall and nature starts to put a little nip in the air, most of us are reminded that the holiday season will soon be upon us. Now, I know that the holidays can evoke a myriad of different feelings in people. Some people love them and some people hate them. Some enjoy the relaxing days off while others relish the opportunity to make some fat overtime by working on the days that everyone else won’t. Some get up early to go to church while others get up early to watch football. It’s clear that everyone has their way of celebrating and/or dealing with the holidays. Sure, we’re all different, but you know what? I think there is one common feeling that can actually unite the church goer, the football watcher, the overtime worker and even the occasional Scrooge. That feeling is thanks. I think that each of those people, when push comes to shove, are all thankful for something when the holiday season rolls around. As this Holiday season approaches and it’s time to starting feeling thankful, I can think of one thing that I have now that I didn’t have last year. What’s that you ask? Why a membership in TPS of course!

As stated earlier, we all have things to be thankful for. I’m sure most, if not all, of us have a roof over our head, food to eat and people that love us. Those are the biggies, but we also shouldn’t forget to be appreciative of our hobbies and the little things in life that make our day-to-day grind a bit more fun. One of those things, for me, is hanging out with my fellow pirates! Here at TPS, we all sail under the same flag and we all share a common interest. That commonality and sense of community, is what makes our ragtag group of pirates so great.

I’ve been part of the crew for about two months now and in that short time I’ve grown tremendously and learned heaps. When I found TPS, I was a wet-behind-the-ears, scalawag looking for a good ship to sail on. I was stuck in port and longed to join the brethren of the coast! I was searching for a seedbox, because I thought that that would take me up a level and make me a torrenting badass. I wanted to roll with the “big boys.” So after a few hours on the net and some thorough research I came across the name “TPS” and heard that being a crew member there afforded one “certain benefits.” “Ohhhh, certain benefits,” I thought, “I could really use some of those!” Seems those benefits were well guarded and I would have to pass an interview if I was to join this crew. I was nervous, but willing to give it a go nonetheless. It was an intense hour of interrogation, but by the end of it zzenn was satisfied that I had answered all of my questions well and he granted me membership into the greatest torrent-related community on the net (a huge thanks to zzenn!).

I was stoked, but I also didn’t quite know what a true privilege I had just been given. Once I came on board I began to slowly explore the ship, figure out who’s who, who not to piss off and what role I would play on-board. As I got involved and learned my way around a bit, I found out that this wasn’t an invite forum at all. This was a group of friends who love to get together, hang out and just enjoy each other’s company. While other people catch up with their friends at Starbucks, we do something similar by convening here at TPS. Sure we all like torrenting and we all like the free flow of information etc, but we actually like the people and the camaraderie here way more than just the torrent talk.

Once I started posting a little and making some friends, those “certain benefits” I mentioned earlier, started to make themselves known to me. As I got involved my fellow pirates began to accept me and, in turn, invite me into some of their other trusted circles, i.e. the trackers I had only dreamed of while I was crewless. Through the kindness of TPS members I have been able to join a number of different trackers, that I use on a daily basis (no collecting here!), and I couldn’t be more thankful for this. All of my inviters, you know who you are and you have my sincerest thanks. Hopefully, you’ve checked up on me and seen that I have returned your trust by being wise, taking good care of my accounts and “seeding till I bleed!”

The trackers I have joined are amazing. The access to almost unlimited amounts of content is unprecedented and is absolute heaven for a digital junkie such as myself. For someone who has grown up in the television/internet/digital age having access to this content on demand is almost like eating or drinking. You need to it to feel connected to the world and you need it, most importantly, so you don’t get left behind. Technology moves so fast now that you can easily get passed by if you’re not careful. Without my membership in TPS I’d have none of this. I’d be consigned to cruising the varitable dark alleys in all of those virus-laden, spy-filled, mpaa-infiltrated public trackers. Blessedly, I don’t have to worry about that anymore. My crewmates have my back and, trust me, I’ve got their’s too.

What’s great about us is that We’re from everywhere. We’re all different kinds. Yet we’re all one crew and we always look out for each other. That’s what it means to be part of TPS and that’s why I’m a proud member. So what’s one thing I’m thankful for this year? That’s easy friend, I’m thankful for TPS.