TorrentFreak

Researchers from the Tribler project at Delft University of Technology are proposing a new set of rules that should significantly improve the download speeds of many BitTorrent users. The new “Superior Seeding Standard” implemented in the latest release of the Tribler BitTorrent client is inspired by the ratio-enforcement policies at private tracker communities, but doesn’t discriminate against people with low bandwidth connections.

Forecasts from Cisco’s Visual Networking Index reveal that global file-sharing traffic is predicted to grow to nearly 14 exabytes per month by 2015. According to the predictions most growth will occur in Latin America, and both Central and Eastern Europe. Least growth is expected in Western Europe.

Developed at the University of Washington, OneSwarm is a BitTorrent client that allows users to share files “anonymously” or with a specific group of friends. These features give users more control over their privacy, while maintaining a decent download speed. The client operates from within an Internet browser and is available for Mac, Windows and Linux.

The Pirate Bay has just launched a new survey in collaboration with the Cybernorms research group at Sweden’s Lund University. As part of a sociology study they hope to find out more about the motivations people have to share files, with the ultimate goal of influencing and shaping more sensible laws regarding copyright issues and the Internet in general.

When anti-piracy outfits and Big Media speak out against file-sharing they often claim to be standing up for the interests of the artists. However, a new survey among nearly 4,000 artists has revealed that nearly a quarter are pirating the works of fellow artists. Contrary to popular belief among higher level execs in the entertainment industry, the younger generation of artists believe that file-sharing helps them to gain an audience.

BitTorrent is an excellent tool for sharing large files online, which is why millions of people use it every day. In developing third world countries, however, BitTorrent usage falls far behind, mainly because the transfer speeds are not that great on low bandwidth connections. Thanks to a new BitTorrent client, funded by a grant from the U.S. State Department, this situation can look forward to positive change.

Although survey requests are usually ignored by TorrentFreak staff, we make an exception for Brett Caraway who previously assisted with two TorrentFreak articles. As a former PhD student I know how hard it can be to get respondents, so if anyone’s willing to help out, the pitch is posted below. — My name is Brett [...]