BitTorrent glossary
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Here's a list of terms that are used on BT sites and their meanings.
BACKEND - Same as TRACKER
BitTorrent {or BT for short} - This is the computer/internet protocol that allows us to share files.
CLIENT - This is the program you use to download the data from torrents to get a file {videos, software, etc}; eg uTorrent.
CONNECTABLE - This means that your client can communicate properly with the tracker and other clients in the peer list. You will usually see this in your client as a green, yellow or red symbol. Green means fully connected to everyone, Yellow means you are partially connected and Red means you are not connected to anyone. It must be noted that on the tracker you can be listed as not connectable, but still be connected to other peers.
HIT & RUN(ER/ING) - Someone who stops the torrent after the download is finished and doesn't seed back.
INFO HASH - This has a few meanings, based on the same thing, depending on how it's used. It's basically a check and comparison of the data on the tracker, in your client and the file you are downloading, usually seen as a random set of letters and numbers. May also be called HASH INFO.
LEECH - A person with a bad ratio.
LEECHER - A person that is downloading a file.
LEECHING - Downloading data.
PEER - Everyone connected to the same torrent, regardless of status; uploader, seeder or leecher.
RATIO - This is how much you have leeched vs how much you have seeded. It can be shown either as a number {1.000} or as a percent {100%} depending on the website. Most users should aim for a ratio between 1.000 to 1.500 or 100% to 150%, while heavy uploaders will have a higher ratio.
SEEDER - Is a person that is sending data {part of a file} to other users.
SEEDING - Sending data to other users.
SNATCHED - Means completed download
SWARM - A group of peers, separated by their actions on a single torrent; ie seeding or leeching.
TORRENT - This is the file you download and put into your client so you can download the files {videos, software, etc}.
TOTAL TRAFFIC - This is all the traffic, both up and down for the torrent.
TRACKER - The part of the website that handles the torrent data and requests.
UPLOADER - Is the person that originally uploaded a file.
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If you would like something added to the list, post it/them in the corresponding discussion thread.
Thank you
