[scuttle]

..Because doing so would probably solve a lot of server bandwidth problems.

Torrents have several advantages. For a start:

1. If people have downloaded a file in the past then their machines can act as servers for other people to download from.

2. If two people are downloading the same file the server doesn't have to send it twice: it can send part to each person and then they swap bits until they each have a complete file. The more people who try to download at once, the more efficient this gets.

Maybe I'm missing something?

[narfstar]

Scuttle you will probably find that most to all of our files are shared on torrents. Once they are posted here they are free to be posted elsewhere. The problem with torrents is they also carry non-pd material. It is the policy of the GAC-UK to seek to remain as above board as possible. We have a policy to not even reference specific sites that carry non-pd material. We welcome others to place the files from here on torrents to share with the world but do not as a site support torrents. Hope that explains our position.

[boox909]

..Because doing so would probably solve a lot of server bandwidth problems.

Torrents have several advantages. For a start:

1. If people have downloaded a file in the past then their machines can act as servers for other people to download from.

2. If two people are downloading the same file the server doesn't have to send it twice: it can send part to each person and then they swap bits until they each have a complete file. The more people who try to download at once, the more efficient this gets.

Maybe I'm missing something?

Scuttle,

As a rule we do not link to, nor promote torrents. We are not against people taking our files and turning them into torrents, many have done so; but generally we prefer that the topic of torrents is not discussed in this forum.

Thank  you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

Boox909
GAC Admin Team

[scuttle]

Scuttle you will probably find that most to all of our files are shared on torrents. Once they are posted here they are free to be posted elsewhere. The problem with torrents is they also carry non-pd material. It is the policy of the GAC-UK to seek to remain as above board as possible. We have a policy to not even reference specific sites that carry non-pd material. We welcome others to place the files from here on torrents to share with the world but do not as a site support torrents. Hope that explains our position.

Sorry - I wrote too quickly and took too much for granted. I meant "Why not replace your download from server with your own torrent tracker?" So people would click on your site to download, as they do now, but you'd get the benefits of torrent-ness. You wouldn't be mixing with pirated material - everything on the tracker would be 100% under your control. If this sounds interesting, then the first thing to do is to check if there is a torrent tracker plug in for the forum software you use.

A torrent is just a form of download technology; it has become associated with piracy (that's what they are mostly used for) but they're also used to distribute open source software (your forum software, Simple Machines, is partly distributed this way)
and the BBC are using torrents to distribute their own online content.

Anyway - I hope that clears up the mistake caused by sloppy writing! I'll leave it as that unless you want me to say more, but depending on your download patterns and the cooperation you get from users, torrents might be able to solve most of your bandwidth problems - without your mixing with pirated material and supporting sites that breach copyright.