How torrents work??? Are torrents legal??? everything you wanted to know

    One of the most fundamental changes that happened in the field of technology are the rise of torrents.
      Torrents are one of the most disputed inventions of this century.While the use of torrents has helped a lot of people who are using it in a right way,the number of people who have used it for illegal activities have increased a lot. 

So let me explain it to you how you get such high speeds while torrent downloading which you won't
get when you perform the normal downloading.

For reference I'll refer normal downloading as Client Server based downloading
Torrent downloading as Peer to Peer based downloading

First let me explain how Client Server based downloading works

1. You open a web page and click a link to download your file to your computer .
2. The browser on your system (client) tells the central system(server) which contains the web pages and the file you wish to download to transfer a copy of the file onto your system.
3. The transfer is handled by protocol such as FTP(File Transfer Protocol) or HTTP(Hypertext Transfer Protocol).
4. The transfer speed is affected by a number of variables including the type of protocol,the amount of traffic on the server and the number of computer that are downloading the file,if the file is large and popular so the demand for that file at any given time will be high and thus you may get reduced internet speeds.

Now let me explain you how BitTorrent's peer to peer downloading process works

      

       BitTorrent offloads some of the file tracking work to central server (tracker).The idea of BitTorrent  is that in order to receive files,you have to give them.

This brings us to the part where it is extremely necessary to SEED the torrent files you have downloaded.

This is how the process works

1. You open the site containing the torrent file and click on the link to download the torrent file.
2. BitTorrent client software(utorrent,Ttorrent,etc) communicates with a tracker to find other computers running BitTorrent that have the complete file and have completely SEEDED or those with a portion of file in the process of downloading.
3. The Tracker identifies the SWARM (all the computers which have the portion of the file and are in the process of sending or receiving it.)
4. The tracker helps the client software to trade pieces of the file you want with other computers in the SWARM
5. A complete use of your internet bandwidth is done,as you receive multiple parts of the file simultaneously and so you get the higher speed.

How BitTorrent is better then other peer to peer based network is because a peer cannot upload at the

same rate as the file is downloaded.When multiple parts of the file are downloaded and uploaded simultaneously the overall speed comes out to be much better.

Is it legal..?

Downloading files using the BitTorrent method is not illegal. However, using BitTorrent to download copyrighted content is. You can legally torrent movies and music files. Unless those movies and music files are copyright protected. Due to the incredibly high volume of illegal file sharing occurring within the BitTorrent network, it is very unlikely that you will run into any problems with the law. Copyright enforcers typically go after large torrent hosting sites rather than individual peers.

As for the safety of your computer, file sharing comes with its fair share of risks. It is possible to accidentally download malware if you’re using an unreliable source. That’s why most torrent hosting sites rely on user reputations and try their best to maintain the sites integrity. Many of these sites also provide comment sections on individual torrents so that each peer can give instant feedback about the file. The best way to guarantee a safe download is by using a trusted source with plenty of positive comments about the torrent.

In conclusion:

Torrents are an amazing technology which can be used to provide knowledge to the farthest corners of the world.They can provide knowledgeable content at places where the internet or telecommunications are not developed as per the standards.People living at such places can get an equal access to content what people living in developed countries get.The purpose of torrents is to bring equality over knowledge in the world which in turn would give every individual a fair chance to help contribute to his own as well as the development of the world.
Sadly,majority of torrents are filled with content which is either pirated or taken without permission of its respective owner/s.Pirated content should not be encouraged as piracy basically is stealing the rightful money of a person which he should get for his creation.It has a vast impact on a creator's mindset and has in many cases even put an end to his creation.
Do not support piracy or share pirated content!!!

PS:

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