There are few other indexing sites which generate as much passion or interest as ShareReactor. During its glory days, its achievements were comparable to SuprNova, EliteTorrents, and ThePirateBay. Before the advent of BitTorrent, ShareReactor was the de facto source of information for the eDonkey2000 network. With a reliable index of links to content within eDonkey2000, millions of individuals flocked to ShareReactor and the ShareReactor Forums to participate on this network.
Indexing sites of this magnitude always have a definite lifespan. All the above mentioned sites, whether BitTorrent or eDonkey2000 related, always succumb to the pressures of either the government or entertainment industry. Even ThePirateBay, who was pushed offline in late June of 2006, has struggled to regain its once magnificent composure. In response, many in the file-sharing community have learned to not depend on one indexing site for their informational needs.
However back when ShareReactor was king and eDonkey2000 and FastTrack were among the top methods of obtaining material, few outside the United States were concerned about legal action. But that was to all change on March 12, 2004, when ShareReactor was mysteriously pushed offline. The only indication was a topic heading from the site’s IRC channel.
"MAINPAGE & FORUM WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE BACK UP, PLEASE DO NOT ASK WHY, WE WILL TELL YOU WHEN WE KNOW MORE!"
ShareReactor’s owner, Christian Riesen, “aka Simon Moon”, who normally is in frequent communication with the file-sharing community, was absent from comment. This absence solidified the suspicion that enforcement action had finally been rendered against ShareReactor. Four days later, this suspicion was confirmed.
On March 16, 2004, the Swiss Police issued a press release which stated a police raid had seized all servers related to ShareReactor. Although details were not specified, the release indicated that several “large companies”, represented by the Swiss Association Against Piracy, had filed a complaint with the Swiss government.
The effects of the ShareReactor raid extended far beyond this indexing site. Jigle.com, a well known eDonkey2000 statistical site, closed its doors on March 16. ACFmovies.com, an Asian eDonkey2000 film site, also shut down in response. However, there’s a reverse side to this situation as well. Within a few short months, alternative indexing sites were quick to fill the vacuum left by ShareReactor. Most notably, ShareConnector became the standard in eDonkey2000 distribution, followed by more current alternatives such as ShareProvider, ShareVirus and FileHash.
Over time, ShareReactor’s disappearance became less of a hindrance as alternative indexing sites appeared and BitTorrent became more of an active source of information. Yet ShareReactor still manages to stir the P2P community despite it apparent defunct status.
The original site owner, Simon Moon, announced yesterday that he has sold the ShareReactor.com domain. At first appearance, the site appears nearly identical to the old ShareReactor, complete with indexed eDonkey2000 links. The details of the transaction are currently unknown. However, the following is known about the “new” ShareReactor.
Much of ShareReactor's old database (until early 2004) is still intact, along with some newer releases. The domain “ShareReactor.com” is registered privately with LeaseWeb, a Dutch web hosting company based in the Netherlands. Curiously, the forums’ IP address (64.27.6.7) is registered with an American based company named Hollywood Interactive, Inc. Considering many eDoneky2000 links were traded in the ShareReactor forums, some have expressed suspicion. However, Hollywood Interactive, Inc. appears to be nothing more than a web hosting company based in Los Angles, California.
The new Administrators in a statement said that many of the old team members have returned, along with some “new people.” Simon Moon is the notable exception. Additionally, the new ownership hopes to restore the old ShareReactor name, and has initiated several new features.
“We, the administrators, are all committed to bringing you, the best quality releases, checked for fakes, viruses and all nicely named – all for your pleasure. To uphold the quality, our administrators have checked and verified every single one of our old releases. Surprisingly 90% of our old work is still accessible to our users. This number really shows how powerful the ShareReactor effect was.”
Emailed questions to ShareReactor were returned undeliverable, and Simon Moon declined to comment at time of publication.
Source: http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1283
Source: 
Originally Posted by Hairbautt
Bookmarks