Why is seeding a torrent helpful? (lemmy.dbzer0.com)

submitted 2 months ago by MaggotInfested@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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I keep seeing in forums and sites like these that say it's frowned upon to not seed torrents that you use/used. I saw a post on here or Reddit (I don't remember) with a guy ecstatic that someone started seeding his download he had been trying to get done for months. I know seeding lets someone download something using your computer but how is it helpful if someone doesn't have a site and/or isn't "in-range" ?

If you can't tell, I don't know much about how torrenting works other than how to download something using one. I hope that you all can just explain or point me in the right direction because I would like to support the community.

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[-] Talaraine@fedia.io 7 points 2 months ago

Bittorrent is a file sharing protocol, which isn't inherently dangerous. The 'torrent' contains the information that's being passed around to allow connectivity to that particular file. This is also not inherently dangerous as that information is very specific and limited... and doesn't allow any other user to browse the rest of your computer.

What may be dangerous is downloading a file that contains malware or viruses via a torrent. Use reputable sites and keep your security software up to date. Better yet, use a different computer for this activity with a vpn.