Are torrent invite communities really trading in disguise?

[Rart]

Now before I really go into this, I'll detail what I normally see on FST:

If someone wants to join a site, they'll make a request and post it in the invite section.

After its posted, people will view the thread and decide whether the poster is worthy of an invite.

When they decide whether someone deserves an invite, they look at their past activity on the site. Have they been making useful posts or just spam? Have they made trades or posted in the trading section before? Have they ever had an account before, or made a request before? If you haven't noticed, one thing is missing: their BT rep.

I've rarely, if ever, seen someone judge a potential invitee by their past giveaways. Most people realize that many members are sketchy at best, and they realize people don't want to risk giving invites out on FST (not to mention many sites ban public GA's). Now that's not to say giving out invites would hurt your chances. If you lack in activity, having given out invites previously could help. I've never seen someone post on a invite request saying "You're a really good and active member of the site, but you haven't given away enough invites".

The key idea is that a BT rep of GA's isn't required.

But now turn to torrent invite communities.

I define trading as this: You are giving an invite with the intent of expecting something in return. Tracker staff ban this as it encourages invites to be given solely by the value of the invite, while ignoring the value of the member. This results in more banned members, more hit and runners, a slower site overall, and more work for the staff.

In torrent invite communities, You are giving an invite with the intent of expecting something in return.

Debate it as much as you like, but invites are almost never given out for the sole purpose of giving out invites. "Rep", along with posts, is one of crucial factors in "climbing up the ranks". Every GA has a rep requirement. If you're a 10,000 post member with no rep, you are not getting an invite. Rep is the most essential factor in acquiring an invite. Sure, you may be giving up a precious invite right now, but you are expecting great dividends. You are giving away an invite now in exchange for getting an invite later.

Take for example one thread I had seen. He was a relatively new member, probably around 1 month. I looked at his GA thread - he had SCC, GFT, the works. Oh an I forgot to mention, he had 8 SCT invites. Within a matter of days, they were ALL given out in rapid succession. He gained huge amounts of rep. He was a star in the community. Now, I know that SCT invites aren't given out for free. Once in a blue moon they may have a competition that gives out 1 or 2 invites, but this guy had 8. There was a recent 2x bonus for donations. But that still equates to paying for 4 invites, which is 50 euros. And by donating for invites you get zero upload credit. All given out, in a matter of days, to the most shady of members, collectors on invite sites. Now, you may argue that this was an act of generosity. But that is the minute exception. More than likely, it was probably a member quickly giving out invites in the hope that he would bolster his rep enough to quickly get an FTN invite (which apparently seem to be all the rage nowadays).

I ask you this: how is this different from trading? You are giving out 8 SCT invites, to total strangers that could very well get you banned from the site, not to mention that that's 50 euros in cold hard cash. You are giving out the invites, with the sole intention of expecting something in return: a high level invite because you are now a reputable member. Reputable, not from posts, activities, or past actions, but because of giving out invites. The sole principle that torrent invite communities revolve around. How is giving something and expecting something in return not trading?

[chalice]

Jesus Christ.

[Rart]

We've had more trolls recently here than the lounge ever will, chalice. Let's get something going. You must've used some kind of filesharing right, otherwise how did you find this forum? Say something.

[Albo Da Kid]

You're really caught up with Invite forums aren't you

I never understood the criticism against trading, so I'm gonna go and give you the benefit of the doubt without even reading what you wrote.

[Bad-Day]

Everyone trades

But they call it something else, its more refined...

anyway, i won´t read all this, its very late. Bye everyone

[chalice]

We've had more trolls recently here than the lounge ever will, chalice. Let's get something going. You must've used some kind of filesharing right, otherwise how did you find this forum? Say something.

I've used just about every form of file sharing you'd care to imagine.

In the days before time, I used to have a sticky in this section as to whether Suprnova was up or down. This was pre-private tracker days. True story. I also witnessed a lot of private trackers take shape.

I came here primarily cos there was a link in the Kazaa-Lite client to this forum. It was called KLTalk or something then.

I made a load of friends and I've never had a problem as far as p2p goes ever since. Then I went away. When I came back, the majority of the place had morphed into a trading forum.

However, many of my friends were still there, having formed bonds, and were railing, to some degree against what they know is the forum and what it is becoming.

And around and around and around she goes. Where she'll stop, no cunt knows.

[Totti]

I read what you have to say and i must agree with what that member did was essentially buy his way into an "elite" status expecting to get something in return. Personally i am against spending money on invites even if it is donating to the site (because of what this user did) i think that if like the site donate without expecting something in return. Yes fst has allot of trolls(you probably include me as one of them) but i truly believe in peoples good intentions and hope that if i do give someone an invite he will use it properly. All for all i do think that this phenomenon is negative but there is no way of stopping it in the near future

[The_Martinator]

Aha, but I know people who have gained considerable amounts of rep without ever having a GA or filling a request.

[andy316]

omfg...

u really have think so deep and so hard to write all that and make all those connections..

Geez,i understand people hate trading and thats that,but u,on the other hand,are taking this to the next level.ur whole point here is giveaways should also stop....which means ass kissing should be the future.i hope this never happens.

[Rart]

Thanks for reducing my post to the most radical and basic derivatives.