Do you download to...?

[megabyteme]

There is a reoccurring thought that keeps going through my mind when I think of the resources and community we have here, that is..."We have access to pretty much ANY type of digital information we want. For free!"

Never before have SO MANY had access to SO MUCH- and it is available IN YOUR OWN HOME!

My question: With so much at your fingertips, do you actively seek things that interest you, or do you passively avoid boredom.

Examples:

...someone who grabs a variety of materials (movies, cds, television, etc.) of things that are of one-time, fill a short time span (afternoon, evening) without any reason, would be passive. This would be things you have seen advertised to you, or happen to appear on a site without you seeking them out.

...someone who seeks out a genre, time-period, or style of the same media with a desire to learn about that media and be able to share that knowledge with others is active.


So, what are you doing with this massive, accessible, collection we have here?

I think it might be best to keep the discussion based in BT because the information/media is grouped better than most other resources. It is also the most active section on this site.

[anon]

...someone who grabs a variety of materials (movies, cds, television, etc.) of things that are of one-time, fill a short time span (afternoon, evening) without any reason, would be passive. This would be things you have seen advertised to you, or happen to appear on a site without you seeking them out.

...someone who seeks out a genre, time-period, or style of the same media with a desire to learn about that media and be able to share that knowledge with others is active.

A bit of both, I'd say. Most of the time I only download the latest movie or TV show episode to watch and then Shift+Del it, but sometimes I look for more stuff of the same genre/similar to what I've snatched, hoping I'll like it as much as the first thing in the "chain". This happens mostly with music, and What.cd's maps of similar artists are a blessing.

And some other times I download just because, since the Internet connection costs the same regardless of how much you leech :D

[Cabalo]

Hmm, I'd fit mostly in the "passive" category. I usually just check what's new on dup3.me, and then download whatever I want.
Many times I do download a old movie, 300 was the latest one, usually in 1080p or BD25, watch it and then shift-del. Good old newsgroups...

[graywolf]

I'd like to agree with anon here, but I fall much into the category of the active... as I've yet to download something I haven't watched or wanted to, in the first place.

Though I do actively seek through a limited genre.. I do take time to read reviews/recommendations across the whole internet and if that things sparks my interest, I'll sooner or later get to it.

But on a whole, I'd say that I don't take much risks in this matter.. trying something new and without reason hence...

[Quarterquack]

Why does there have to be a dichotomy? I'd be very surprised if anyone is exclusively passive or active. Using the passive approach you learn about new things that might be of interest to you, but using the active approach you expand and build on prior existing knowledge for a more comprehensive experience.

I have been downloading a lot of music recently (up to 350gb in just the past two nights) and some of it are just artists that I've stumbled on for the very first time but caught my ears' sensitive side. Once I grow in affection for those "one time listens", I move on to buy their LPs and drop-in to their live performances.

Similarly I'm sure someone who is active can in turn become passive. For example, I usually love watching TV shows that have very little connectivity/relativity between episodes (no deep plot, episodes that make sense on their own where you don't need knowledge of previous episodes' happenings). Yet, once I start discussing that with other people who share the same opinion I learn about, for example, Lost, and move on to try watching that seeing as other people with same tastes seem to like it.

[megabyteme]

Why does there have to be a dichotomy?

Ofc, you and anon are both correct in your assessments. What I really want to find a way to ask if people were actually learning anything from this resource. I expected that if I asked the question without giving it some sort of frame, then I would get answers involving "I grab ebooks..."

I consider learning to be an active pursuit. This pursuit can take many forms- even listening to music, if done with a purpose of exploration can be educational. The same can be said for most anything- if the person is making a deliberate effort to gain something from that experience.

Passive time killing is not the same thing, IMO.

[Totti]

I d/l allot of movies of the net and I actually have been getting into thinking about learning film because of this I feel that if it wasnt for bt i wouldnt have seen half the movies ive d/l in the last three years or so even though they are generaly newer movies I have been trying otu older ones and d/l specific directors ( Sergio leone hichcok jj abrams and so on)

[megabyteme]

Excellent, Totti! While I don't want to sway anyone from answering honestly, this is what I had HOPED people would say.

[ca_aok]

I'd say I'm passive in regards to movies and TV in most cases (there are exceptions such as series that I actively follow), and active in the case of music.

[Totti]

Excellent, Totti! While I don't want to sway anyone from answering honestly, this is what I had HOPED people would say.

I dont see how you can sway people your post is pretty straight forward m8..... but you will probably get the regular bs here no matter what

[sez]

I don't entirely fall on either but I mostly lean towards active.I download lots of documentaries and ebooks these days and I guess that stems from a desire to know more.

[7th]

I think I'm 50/50%. I'm always searching for something specific, but I check the same trackers in the categories I'm interested almost everyday to see the news. If something calls my attention and I know what it is, I download. If it calls my attention and I don't know what it is, I do some research and if it still interest me, then I grab it.

Is this what you were asking? :unsure:

[BlueMax]

Never before have SO MUCH given by SO MANY for SO LITTLE ...

yup! file sharing rocks!

spirit of the Battle of Britain lives on ............
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/36/Never_was_so_much_owed_by_so_many_to_so_few.jpg/200px-Never_was_so_much_owed_by_so_many_to_so_few.jpg

[megabyteme]

I think I'm 50/50%. I'm always searching for something specific, but I check the same trackers in the categories I'm interested almost everyday to see the news. If something calls my attention and I know what it is, I download. If it calls my attention and I don't know what it is, I do some research and if it still interest me, then I grab it.

Is this what you were asking? :unsure:

You invited me to a tracker that was a learning community in itself just yesterday. Certainly seeking out a tracker that contains materials that help you continue in your profession (as in the case of graphic design) qualifies as LEARNING.

My hope is that the majority of people are gaining something of value from this community. Far too often people are seeking the means (trackers) and miss the benefits entirely.

This thread is as much to share and celebrate what we get from this community, as it is an attempt to get some of those missing the true benefits to see them. :)

[Quarterquack]

Well then, it's always been a hobby of mine to write scripts, and TheVault's writing GB is perfect. Does that count as learning or does that constitute proactively looking for material that I'm interested in?

BT offers a wealth of information. So does my university library. So does my car manual. I think people tend to see more than really is there. BT is a media outlet, the same as a Newspaper stand on the corner of the street, but you don't feel the necessity to go there and learn something, do you?

While people might be missing some benefits, I think you're seeing much more than there actually is. BT is a means, not the means, and if that means 50% of people will continue to buffer instead of learn, I have no gripes with that.

I understand your point, I just don't necessarily agree that everyone has to go around learning something just to "make the most" out of BT. People don't need to go out of their way to satisfy their need for knowledge, certainly not step on their own desire to watch an Austin Powers movie downloaded from PTN in order to read a medical book from BitMe.

My point is, people will satisfy their needs, while yours may be to make the most of the knowledge base, mine might be to learn new skills or to better my current ones, while another person is in BT literally "for the community." If you don't get the answers you're looking for it's because other people don't share your same views.

[central101]

I would consider my self active as I generally download e-learning books. For instance, just last week I began reading the book "C++ For DUMMIES" which I'm finding very intriguing. If it wasn't for bit torrent I would have never tried to learn.

[megabyteme]

Well then, it's always been a hobby of mine to write scripts, and TheVault's writing GB is perfect. Does that count as learning or does that constitute proactively looking for material that I'm interested in?

BT offers a wealth of information. So does my university library. So does my car manual. I think people tend to see more than really is there. BT is a media outlet, the same as a Newspaper stand on the corner of the street, but you don't feel the necessity to go there and learn something, do you?

While people might be missing some benefits, I think you're seeing much more than there actually is. BT is a means, not the means, and if that means 50% of people will continue to buffer instead of learn, I have no gripes with that.

I understand your point, I just don't necessarily agree that everyone has to go around learning something just to "make the most" out of BT. People don't need to go out of their way to satisfy their need for knowledge, certainly not step on their own desire to watch an Austin Powers movie downloaded from PTN in order to read a medical book from BitMe.

My point is, people will satisfy their needs, while yours may be to make the most of the knowledge base, mine might be to learn new skills or to better my current ones, while another person is in BT literally "for the community." If you don't get the answers you're looking for it's because other people don't share your same views.

I get what you are saying, too, rh. How about if I asked the question this way..."If you had free access to the world's total knowledge base of digital information, would you do anything valuable with, or gain, from that access?"

I don't think I am being an elitist here- people can pursue ANY kind of media (I mentioned some of them) and do whatever they want with that. However, it IS questionable if they actually GAIN anything from that access.

[7th]

I think I'm 50/50%. I'm always searching for something specific, but I check the same trackers in the categories I'm interested almost everyday to see the news. If something calls my attention and I know what it is, I download. If it calls my attention and I don't know what it is, I do some research and if it still interest me, then I grab it.

Is this what you were asking? :unsure:

You invited me to a tracker that was a learning community in itself just yesterday. Certainly seeking out a tracker that contains materials that help you continue in your profession (as in the case of graphic design) qualifies as LEARNING.

My hope is that the majority of people are gaining something of value from this community. Far too often people are seeking the means (trackers) and miss the benefits entirely.

This thread is as much to share and celebrate what we get from this community, as it is an attempt to get some of those missing the true benefits to see them. :)

In this case, I must say that I've been learning new things almost everyday for a long time thanks to torrenting... I have access to things that I would never have access to by other means... :mellow:

edit: ah, just one interesting example: last week a new client asked me to do a new job for him related to webdesign (not my "forte")... I had no idea about how to do it, but I knew how to learn it... I got the job.

And this is just one case that I' got paid to learn new things.

[kallieb]

I would say I'm obsessively active :)

I like to grab a hold of a genre and squeeze it dry as much as I can. For example, I wanted to explore the Western genre a tad so I dl'd a 50 film Top IMDB western pack and proceeded to become totally mesmerized by the unique perspective this genre provides, as well as the take that different actors/directors have given it. In sum, I'd have to say Clint Eastwood and John Huston have nailed it in so far as acting/directing.

I do so this very same way with a variety of other elements of film - whether it be to explore a particular industry (Hong Kong cinema as one example), or by Director/Actor/Time period etc.

Aside from following themes in film packs, I also enjoy watching a film to see how well it contributes or adds something to the genre, to film making in general, or how risque it was to present such a film at the time. Lolita is a great example of the latter. Nowadays we yawn at such a subject matter as it doesn't seem new - but at one point a film covering a particular subject WAS new. It was something never presented in mainstream cinema or otherwise. Lolita was like that. Orson Welles, as a Director, took a unique approach (at the time) to the use of lighting and contrast. Today we don't think twice about it - but then, it was a blazing new approach to cinematic vision.

So in this regard, considering the backdrop of a film is just as interesting as the film itself, and that element never ceases to enthrall me and it drives the choices I make in what films to watch.

[megabyteme]

Two great examples of how we can all benefit from this. It takes effort and imagination, but this is such a unique and new phenomenon that I believe we have to realize what we have so we will maintain strength when we need to fight for it.

This is a special sub-section of the internet where money has no place; no one is told they are excluded from "expensive" learning materials, the cost of admission, or there is a finite amount to go around. Advertising is (FTMP) not allowed. We, the consumers, the sharers, and the curious are King here! Our resources are, for once in our lives, infinite!!!

There are those who do not want us to have such a community. To them, we are thieves- PIRATES :lol:, who should pay, and pay dearly for this unprecedented access. But yet how is it that I am costing anything? I am making use of something that already exists; I never took anything. I merely viewed it (if it were worth my time), listened to it (if its sound was pleasing), or learned something (if I wanted to learn from the experience). And if I enjoyed it, I shared it with others who wished to do the same.

[1000possibleclaws]

Well I know what site has uploaders that constantly upload stuff I like. So I passively download from that site. And when there's something I know I want that doesn't get uploaded, I'll 'actively' search it in whatcd or goem or whatever. 0day, well I know what I want, and when I notice it in the browse page I'll snatch. If it's been awhile I'll search it. Don't necessarily download something to learn from it, but cause it's entertainment I would enjoy..

[Funkin']

I'd say I'm passive in regards to movies and TV in most cases (there are exceptions such as series that I actively follow), and active in the case of music.

This is exactly how I am(except I would throw games in the active list too).

Not a day goes by that I don't grab an album. And if I really dig it then I'm usually off to my friends or girlfriend to know about my find. And the same thing goes with games. Whether it be retro 8-64 bit games, or something that just came out. I've usually always got a game downloading(or in play queue), and then I let others know how I like it after I've played through it.

For the rest(movies, tv, ebooks), I usually only grab something if I'm bored and just want to pop something on the tv. Or there's a particular subject I want to learn about. However there are those certain shows that I do like to get a weekly download of(Breaking Bad for instance).