There was some discussion at TPS and other communities about a dilemma a sysop of a tracker had when dealing with a staffer who was supported by some staff because he had a lot to offer to the tracker, but engaged in other activities which were harmful to the tracker. I just wanted to share a real-life story in which a similar dilemma occurred. I have changed the names and some minor details so that the parties involved (including myself) are not identified.

Once upon a time, there was a nursing home that was losing money to competition. The place was old and not particularly attractive. The owner “Mr. Owner,” decided to engage in a Faustian Bargain and hire an administrator, who I will call “Kara,” to make some changes to the facility and improve his income. “Kara” promised that she would greatly increase the census at the nursing home and improve Mr. Owner’s income dramatically, but she insisted that she have total control of the operations of the facility, and that no one could appeal to him if she made “difficult” decisions. Little did Mr. Owner know that Kara was a morally bankrupt woman with no conscience. She had a little deal going with a corrupt administrator of a small hospital, which had other deals with some corrupt doctors. The whole crew would try to find senior patients who were covered by Medicare, but suffered from psychiatric illnesses or dementia and had no family support. (In other words, helpless.) Often, these patients were solicited and admitted to the unethical hospital, and be given unnecessary tests and exaggerated diagnoses. They then were sent to the nursing home for “physical therapy,” where Medicare would pay for a stay of up to 100 days, as long as the paperwork could show the patients were benefiting. Needless to say, Kara encouraged the billing staff at the nursing home to fudge the paperwork to prolong the billing and payments. Mr. Owner just happened to look the other way, since the money from Medicare began to pour in.

But Kara made a few fatal mistakes. Napoleon Bonaparte once said “He (or she) who in the process of becoming a leader makes enemies is a fool and will not be a leader long.” The other saying she should have followed was the Karma concept that what she put into the Universe will return to her. (aka what comes around, goes around.) To consolidate her power, she purged many of the employees at the nursing home who opposed her, and filled the ranks with loyal cronies. She also kicked out the long-time doctors and outside vendors and replaced them with her own stable of supporters, who may have been part of her whole scheme. It was rumored that bribes and kickbacks greased her whole operation.

Well the whole thing collapsed when the disgruntled parties, who could not get through to “Mr. Owner” because he gave absolute power to Kara, decided to fight back. They sought legal action against Mr. Owner and reported him and his facility to the various Federal, State and Local Authorities. The whole scheme collapsed and Kara, pursued by various authorities, fled the state, leaving Mr. Owner, holding the proverbial bag. I understand he’s now trying to start over basically from nothing.

The lesson in all this is when in a dilemma, “do the right thing.” Karma’s a bitch.

Those who ever heard me on TPS Radio knows that I am a woman with an weird accent (not English but not even of my native language). Those who never heard me talking has to know that I’m not an English speaker, English isn’t even my second language and I lived 21 years under the communism.
My story starts an year ago, when, after I asked between my students about a game, one of them invited me to my first private tracker. So the date of November.17.2008 was the day when I started torrenting.
Something changed when Docs.Torrents closed permanently. I lost the food for my brain and I had to move forvard in order to find something else. At this point, the same student invited me to Demonoid. This was my first foreign tracker but it wasn’t very suitable for my learning needs. I knew about the possibility of getting invited to a tracker from the forum on Docs.Torrents but never needed before. But, when I signed in Demonoid Forum, I did it only for to see how can I obtain an invite to another e-learning tracker. Browsing the forum I found out about The Pirate Society. N3v3R had a thread where he was offering invites to this community I knew nothing about. Somewhere in April he closed his thread, after stating in his last post that TPS has open signups. I hurried to join because I wanted to find as more as I can about this Society. I made my first post (in my introduction thread) and I started to read. I discovered that I just have found something new to learn (another food for my brain). For the moment I forgot about invites on e-learning trackers.
When TPS was forced to change servers my account was lost. I was very confused but Muddslinger announced on Demonoid that The Dinasty Forum can be our host until the site will be back. From there I found out in may that The Pirate Society is online again. I had to resign up when were the last signups and made again my introduction thread. This was the point when I realized that the community I just joined is different and is awesome. I was astonished to see that people here remembered me even if I had only few posts in the previous account. I was aware that I need to be in this community but all those who remembered me made me feel like I am needed too here. I felt that all here wanted to be my friends and were willing to help me with anything they are able to. I realized that this community is giving me something amazing that I never expected and imagined that could ever happen. I understood that The Pirate Society gave me a second home. My online home where the members of my family are from all over the world. A family in which I am a child and the other members help me grow and teach me everything needed for to become an adult in this community and in torrenting world. I have to share a secret with you: my awesome family even gave me toys to play. Yes, less than a month after my signup and after I played few interesting games in The Pirate Den, I got access to what I considered to be at that time a funny toy – The TPS Radio. And I started playing. Playing music, making shows, talking with my fellow pirates until I realized I got myself known, I have made a lot of friends, I am fully integrated in this awesome community. And TPS Radio is no longer a toy, is my passion, my way to show my gratitude. I am no more a child, The Pirate Society grew me up, learned me about being a member in an online community, about torrenting, about seedboxes, about computing and a lot of other things. I found everything I needed here, in these awesome tutorials and guides written by my fellow pirates, I received answers to all my questions on forum or on IRC. That was the moment when I felt I have to bring my contribution to this community.
I have to tell you that, after few month, when I’ve totally forgotten about why I joined TPS, a dear friend of mine (from this community, of course) asked me if I want an invite to that e-learning tracker that I dreamed once. I didn’t refuse her and thanked her very much for this offer but I learned from this that everything in life will come to you when you really need it and if you are worthy enough.
This is the story of my beginning here on TPS, with my thoughts and my feelings about this incredible community that is The Pirate Society!

-Castagnety

O.K., now that I’ve got your attention, let me try to not disappoint you by saying this blog article is done in accordance with TPS’ philosophy of respecting trackers’ wishes, and therefore there will be no names, urls, or even initials of trackers commonly thought of as “secret.” So with that out of the way, in your torrent travels, you may come across a nickname or set of initials of a tracker that you’ve never heard of. You search torrent forums and blogs, and don’t find much. Indeed, if someone brings up the topic, a response is usually something to the effect of “if you’re not a member there you don’t need to know about it.” So what are these places. Generally they are smaller than your average tracker, but members make up for it by being more active. As far as content goes, you could say the torrent:member ratio is usually higher than that of the average tracker. Whether or not the content is unique depends on the tracker. What generally is said about such places is “community.” That is, the members there are usually a tight-knit group and there’s lots of forum and IRC activity. Although these places are publicity shy, for the most part they have no intention of coming across as “elite” or try to increase interest in their site by being “secret.” They would most likely prefer have non-members know nothing about them at all.

So how does one get into such places? First off, let me say how NOT to get in. Do not start any threads in forums or in IRC asking what the place is or what the url of the site is. Sometimes it’s better not to be nosy. Definitely do not write the tracker is your “dream tracker.” Since you know nothing about the place, it is your “dream tracker” only because it is “secret.” A very wrong reason to belong to a tracker, my friend. Also remember that these trackers are not only “no-movement” when it comes to offering or requesting invites openly, they are “no-discussion” as well. There are either no or very limited reviews of these places seen anywhere.

So, it may be a cliché of the BitTorrent world, but the saying goes “You don’t go out finding the tracker; it finds you.” In other words, be active at your communities and torrent forums and get to know people. Show you are a good member with regular, steady use of your trackers. Maybe you’ll get noticed and the tracker will “find you.” Maybe after finding out more about a place that “found you” you will think the place is not for you. That’s o.k. as well.

Speaking personally, I became a member of one such place almost by “accident.” I had never heard of it before, mainly because I have no desire to be poking into places I shouldn’t be. But once in, it turned out to be a “perfect match” and it has become one of my trackers that I am most active at. But that’s all I’m going to say.

You’ve seen the forums dedicated to news articles, stories, and blogs that are for the most part, dedicated towards the tracker and p2p scene. These factions started as any small town newspaper would, eagerly reporting the events that everyone saw as news. And then, as any publication, they gathered a following, a movement of sorts, and grew into advertisements, features, commentaries, the list just goes on. And what we have today has matured to the threshold of documentary in some cases….and pure tabloids on the other.

When one reads these tabloids now, they are subjected to as much fact as they are fiction, and bias as counterpose to fairness. As a tracker you stand judged, categorized, rated, and measured by these third-party side liners who cast their opinions with the authority of a doctrine on the subject. “This tracker is number one”…”this tracker is the hardest to get into”… Don’t drink Pepsi, drink Coke. Seriously are you so easily influenced that you view the entirety of life from an armchair? Do you get your medical advice from blogs too? Our system is literally plagued with armies of these invertible geniuses, richly educated from advertisement driven deadlines on tabloid syndications.

The truly successful FileSharing News Agency will in the end, be the one that works WITH the tracker community. Not the ones that engage in paparazzi antics to land their stories. Journalist know they have to build a relationship with their subject if they want the “inside” stories. It is not possible to get on the inside if you are constantly alienating yourself.

Edward Teach (aka Blackbeard) was notorious for incense he had lit and woven into his enormous beard. The soot from the ashes gave the very dark color but that was not his intent. Edward fully believed that the mystique of smoke added an intimidating factor to his image. The opacity the smoke provided gave an almost…ethereal quality to the image he wanted to project. His ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, had a different take on ethereality. The objective: concealment. Either by stalking a target until a time of day that fog or heavy mist was present, or waiting for high choppy waves, and even going as far as to purposely ignite pyres to produce smoke. The keel line of a ship was at an advantage if it’s true location could not be discerned. For a canon ball to strike just below or at your waterline was of great advantage to the enemy. Too deep underwater and the water would greatly reduce the energy and effect of ammunition. Too high and the penetration would not allow water into the vessel. Pirates have often and long sought after and cherrished highly, the act of concealment. Be it from treasure, to weakness.

There are torrent sites, ports if you will, your ship (computer) can dock, in which all efforts of obscurity have been negated. And thus leaving you and your guns, fully exposed. It is one thing to pirate and plunder, and completely another to pirate…..for profit. When you throw the nasty “profit” element in there, it escalates the issue in every possible sense. The purpose of this article is to help you identify the ports-of-call that may possibly compramise your vessel. The key word used here is “Donation”. This is a required element of sites. No single person is going to operate a torrent site so your candy ass can float in and ride free like god and everybody else owes you a favor. Sites in which you place HEAVY use on should have a few of your coin. It doesn’t take much to help a site go a long way. These site sysops are orchestrators of a community but they are not magicians. They cannot pay the hosting and server fee that a site incurs with ANY thing they pull from their hat. This is where you come in. Out of a dozen sites, there will be that certain one or two that you use alot. They can be either torrent sites like TiT or pirate community sites like TPS. Any amount of coin at all makes a round of ale for all and keeps the oars in the water a bit longer for these sites.

Now lets talk about the bad ones. When a site is boasting membership in six digit figures, thats like pulling your 40 gun galleon into the British Imperial Harbor. You can get the parrot blown off your shoulder with a quickness if something goes wrong. So memberships this large should cause your sharp eye for the next warning sign…the donation plea. Hey, its a site too, it needs money like any other. And you are going to donate because your heart tells you, and the 500 gigs of ratio credit don’t hurt either. Wait, is that “officially” selling warez? Lets pull our patch over both eyes and pretend we didn’t see that. When the site adds toaster ovens and Xboxes as possible prizes in monthly drawings for donations you better have your helmsman spin her hard astern. Any site that can provide monthly prizes that cost hundreds of dollars has surplus coin. A site sysop with a little surplus coin would put it away in case a weak month approached. To have surplus you can hold lotteries is an indication of wealth. Unless you’re the captain of the Good Ship Lollipop, spin her around and back into the fog.

One site I am a member of, in such a way that I am privy to such information, has 110,000 ACTIVE (read that again) active members with 20% of them in monthly contribution at all time. Donation to the site is $20. Is your ear as lame as your peg leg? I said $420,000 a month. Heh, surely there is not sites out there knocking back near half a mil per month, get real. Yeah, you better wake the F up pal. Large numbers can cause small quantities to become large quantities very fast. These sites can attract the wrong attention, and usually allow ANYone in them…anyone

Here at TPS is a dense fog. Those bogus sites are not represented here, I’ve checked the list. When in Rome…… If you do what ranking TPS members do, and pretty much limit your ports to the ports they call home, you’ll always have an invisible keel. And they’ll keep you out of Davy Jones Locker…

-Alysen Ravakk