How to Get Into a Private BitTorrent Tracker or Usenet Indexer
When it comes to file sharing on BitTorrent and Usenet, there is no better private tracker or indexer. But by definition they are very exclusive, so you can’t just waltz at the front door. Here’s how to access the best private file sharing communities.
This post is part of our Evil Week series on Lifehacker where we take a look at the dark side of goal achievement. Sometimes evil is justified, and sometimes knowing evil means knowing how to defeat it. I want more? Visit our wicked week tags page .
What is a private site (and what it is not)
The beauty of private BitTorrent trackers and Usenet indexers is not only in their exclusivity: it is the organization of their library, the quality of the files they share, and the dedication of their community. You will find FLAC music or videos in near-Blu-ray quality with committed users. Heck, even if the files don’t interest you, they have some of the best forums on the web and the library is better organized than Wikipedia. (Seriously: private music trackers are better discography sites than real discography sites. Nowhere else can you find every tracklist, reissue, remaster or bonus edition so meticulously organized anywhere else.)
On the other hand, private sites do not make you more anonymous. Of course, they can be lesser targets for someone who would like to spy on you, but don’t think that you can recklessly download them just because you are part of a small site. There is only one way to stay anonymous, and that is with a high quality, privacy-focused VPN .
Plus, private trackers require serious dedication, which isn’t for everyone. If you do download files, you also need to contribute to the download, which means downloading them 24/7 to maintain your ratio, or even uploading your own files. There are strict rules for sharing files in other places and inviting other users. If you don’t follow the community guidelines, you will most likely get banned. Private usenet indexers are not so strict, but have their own costs (usually in the form of a one-time membership fee) that not everyone will want to bear. If you don’t take these communities seriously, then they are not for you .
All of this is to say that these communities can be really great, whether you want to download a lot of content or just browse through a carefully organized database created by a truly dedicated community. The hardest part is getting inside.
Option one: score the invitation
The best way to get into a private tracker or indexer is to get an invite. Ideally, you have a friend or acquaintance on the Internet who has access to the site you want and can invite you directly. You don’t have to jump through hoops or go through any sort of selection. Easy peasy.
Of course, if you had one, you probably wouldn’t have read this article, so let’s talk about other ways to get an invite.
The best thing you can do is start small . Find a couple of smaller trackers that are easier to access and join them first. From there, you can start using their communities as resources to move towards the best trackers. Reddit has a good list of BitTorrent trackers that offer unlimited invites, provided you can show a good reputation on other sites. (You can also try the second or third option below.)
Reddit also has a good forum for inviting private Usenet indexers. You will have to be patient as there are many more people asking for invitations than offering them, but if you keep an eye on it, you can catch him.
Once you have access to multiple sites, you can build your reputation there. Get involved in the community, make friends with other members, and maybe one day someone will invite you to another site. Some trackers also have a dedicated forum that offers invitations to other trackers or where larger trackers will “recruit” new members. They are usually only intended for “advanced users”, so you need to have a good reputation on the site before you can access it.
Finally: there are many sites like Torrent-Invites.com where users can request or share invitations in the forums. These forums are generally discouraged by the community, so we do not recommend using them. In addition, the exchange and sale of invitations is almost always frowned upon or prohibited, and can be a punishable offense against the tracker you are trying to access. Just don’t do it. Please do not ask for an invitation in the comments on this post .
Option two: get an interview
If you can’t get an invite from someone you know, some sites offer interviews or applications to join their community. You will either have to fill out a form (which is easy) or wait on the IRC chat until the interviewer is logged in (which takes some patience). You may have to wait a long time, so try this on a weekend or weekend and you may have to try several times before you actually get to your interview.
During an interview or application, you are usually asked simple questions about the relevant technology (music bitrate, video encoding, etc.), your experience with other sites and the topic in question – comic sites will ask you which comics you are reading, documentary sites ask you about your favorite subjects and so on. Before your interview, research the site you are applying for. Often times, you will find out everything you need to know with a little research (or asking around).
Option three: wait for open registrations
Finally, some sites offer open signups from time to time, which will allow you to join without an invitation or interview. They can only do this once every few months, and it can only take 24 hours, but you should be able to create an account during that time. Once again, Reddit is a great source for continuing open registration for both BitTorrent and Usenet . You can even create an IFTTT recipe that will notify you when one of these sites becomes open for registration.
Note, however, that the more often a site has public registrations, the less they can be considered “private”. The less private a site is, the less its benefits (of all that we mentioned earlier) will actually be noticeable. On Usenet this is usually fine, but on BitTorrent, open source sites are best used as a stepping stone to other, more exclusive sites.
Getting into a good private tracker or indexer is not an easy task, but if you are dedicated, it will be worth it even if you don’t want to download a ton. Serious botanists will love what they have to offer, from rare finds to great communities. Just be patient and find out as much as you can. In the end, you will be rewarded.