peer guardian

i have it is it even needed i was told to get it and use it while downloading torrents

Nothing is needed, and nothing is 100%. It is a nice security blanket though and it makes me feel better when it's running. I would suggest you use it religiously while doing any type of P2P.

It depends where you live mostly lyle. Some countries are pretty safe from prosecution. I haven't used PG in over a year and no trouble, but if you go on public trackers it might be a good idea.

I have never used peer guardian. doesn't it slow your download speed considerably? is it worth the tradeoff?

it will only slow u down if it blocks a fast seed by mistake
i rarely block any seeds/peers on private trackers, but i block loads on public ones

Some people swear by it, others say it's useless. Personally, I use it most of the time, especially on public trackers.

I live in Sweden... you don't realy need it here ;)