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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[-] keepcarrot@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago

I am keeping some torrents alive and have mad seed ratios on some of them. If it goes under five seeds and I've downloaded it.

To OP, the more seeds a torrent has, the easier it is for everyone to download it, and the less each seeder has to contribute. Think of it as a sort of giving back to the community.

Obviously, the latest episode of popular TV show doesn't need your help, but obscure bits of media can actually die out. Or stuck at the same 40% for months.

Since the files are just kept on everyone's computer, if no one has that file while online, no one can download it. No central file repository.

[-] MaggotInfested@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 months ago

What are ratios?

[-] catloaf@lemm.ee 2 points 2 months ago

How much you've downloaded compared to how much you've uploaded. If it's equal, it's 1.0. If you've uploaded twice as much as you've downloaded, it's 2.0.