I just installed Diablo III, most of which was delivered to me via BitTorrent. It worked pretty great.

In theory, Apple et al could also use BT to distribute movies, yes? Have iTunes run a modified BT client that only connects to other approved clients?

I think this is a bit of a straw man. Hasn't the FCC already made it clear that blocking entire protocols is illegal?

And, I don't know that I can recall many content folks arguing that BitTorrent as a whole should be blocked. My memory is that they complain that BitTorrent is heavily used for piracy (which is factually accurate), and propose ways to stop the piracy. For example SOPA did not target BitTorrent as a protocol or technology, but instead tried to shut down foreign websites that provide links to pirated content.

The funny thing is, as far as I can tell, these are the only two widespread uses of BitTorrent.

1) Pirating movies, music, etc...

2) Downloading Linux distributions.

> One of the things that drives me crazy is the belief in Hollywood that bittorrent exists solely for stealing things. Efforts to explain that this is not necessarily true are often met with hands clamped tightly over ears, accompanied by "I CAN'T HEAR YOU LA LA LA."

When has this actually happened? I don't know of anyone who has said that bittorrent is inherently illegal, they've just argued that it's mostly used for illegal activities. It's not that bars are illegal, it's that 80% of the people in that bar meet to smuggle things on the black market. That invites attention toward the medium.

It's a valid complaint. Bittorrent is abused for piracy a lot. It's silly to pretend otherwise. But this is a case where you can't shut down the medium just because it's abused. In some cases it actually is a perfectly valid solution, but this just isn't one of them.

I think that they might come to understand that, but I don't think they assume bittorrent is itself illegal. They just see it as a medium for copyright infringement. Who wouldn't at least consider attacking a widely abused medium?

What's faster than one mirror and works when bittorrent doesn't? Twenty mirrors:

  aria2c --split=20 MIRROR1 MIRROR2 MIRROR3 MIRROR4 … MIRROR20

Why do ISPs even bother try to shut down BitTorrent? It is not the protocol that makes people share files. If file-sharers had to they would be sharing files over SMTP. Instead the media companies and ISPs should be using BitTorrent as a way to reduce their distribution costs.

Of course the people who wont listen to you are probably ignorant enough to think that using free software is stealing the opportunity of a proprietary software developer to make a sale.

It's too bad debtorrent hasn't taken off. It won't happen until it's made available by default.

I think Hollywood should try one of the following:

1.) Limited, free, online streaming of films (a la NPR doing previews of new music releases).

2.) Seed torrents of films that are heavily advertised. Essentially, give consumers the whole film, but overlay ads during it or edit in commercial breaks.

3.) Post the first :30 minutes of new films as torrents/streaming and offer a few bucks off your movie ticket if you check it out in theaters.

Any of these could easily be attempted for a new major release. Pick a film that's almost guaranteed to be a hit and try one of the above. You're bound to get some interesting data either way.

Ubuntu is the only thing I ever use BitTorrent for and I'm so happy BitTorrent exists when I need to download Ubuntu

I've always thought that using some sort of internal torrent mechanism would be a good way for applications to download their updates, especially something like Chrome, which updates quite frequently.

Bittorrent integration with Steam would be a godsend on release days. Obviously they would need to consider those users whose uploads count towards their limit, but still.

No one realy needs to use bit torrent to download distros I must have built 10 od machines from distros in the last 9 months - just dowload the net isntall (which is tiny) and do it that way

Will is clutching at straws here

you just made their case against bittorrent easier!

Ubuntu have a bittorrent client, and everyone knows that's only used to pirate movies and music! so it's a facilitator.

Trolls kill HN.

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HN is ignorance.

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HN is ignorance.

Hackers are dead.

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Hackers are dead.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

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Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

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Staartup Junkies are just greedy cunts.

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Long Live Neckbeards.

Long Live Neckbeards.

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Yo liberals, let me go hunting with an AK-47.