Genuine Question - What is the benefit to uploaders?

[CelrocAmaul]

Hi all!

I've always wondered, what motivates people to create and share torrents?  For example, looking at the PC Games section of TPB, we can see that there is a fairly constant stream of games being uploaded.  But as I understand it, the people doing this are effectively volunteers.  And some users upload a TON of torrents.  

I guess my question is, why do people go through all of the effort?  I appreciate that they do, of course, or else we wouldn't have any content-- but are they really just doing it as a hobby or charity, with no benefit to themselves? 

Not trying to be judgemental or argue the ethics of piracy.   Really just curious what powers our engine, so to speak.

Cheers!

[RobertX]

Many things... some for personal fame, some people share the idea that if you share, you benefit the community, some might be developers that are hoping to push their products so for growth of their name...

It's a good question, but as to what I think, these points are valid reasons why people might upload.

EDIT: I don't have a VPN, so I don't share, but if I did, my reason would fall into the second one: benefitting the community. I don't have much, I'm not a developer/content maker, and I don't care for personal fame, but I think the stuff I bought back in ancient times would give the community something to go download stuff for. Still, all the reasons I outlined are what I think to be possible reasons why one would upload.

[dueda]

For what I know, and I'm not part of "the scene", just a file sharer from old times:

It started with books and cassette tapes, mostly kids but all people liked sharing stuff with friends and colleagues. Then it naturally moved to software, especially games.

As it started for gift and sharing, it was non-profit and some people charging for it were frowned - It was both unethical and criminal, even if duplicating copyrighted material was too; difference (in the eyes of the peoples) was the small scale, individual copies to give to known people against mass duplication and selling.

At some point, sharing grew and some started to make it public available in BBSs, the precursors of the Internet. It was a hobby like ham radio and one of the sections of a Bulletin Board was very related to computing: Software. As apps were scarce, people made many utility programs and even applications, put them online for others to download and use.

As commercial software became a better but costly option, people started to upload for free in order for others to benefit and maybe find something to "trade". It was like an honor system and many uploaders felt really glad to contribute to whoever needed, while others did it for glory.

Then a certain "race" for the best titles started: Whoever uploaded more, who could crack the hardest protections, who could release stuff faster than anyone else, etc; groups formed and competition spiraled up to professional sports levels. Hacking, advertising, every way to make money to fund the activity was game, and in some cases theft, threats, blackmail. Sadly, for some the thrill reached other criminal angles.

For the common file sharer it's a hobby, for some groups it's a sport, for many it's an addiction, and for others it's a business; web hits pay money, traffic costs money but may also get views, adverts, partnership with hackers, and some pirates get self-advertising (fame) for using original techniques / showing skills; you got a fast download service it's more people rushing to you; you have better compression which allow for quicker and cheaper (traffic wise) downloads, even the better; you offer movies with dubs or subs in certain languages, or excellent quality, or rare versions, it's a niche but it's yours. Now piracy is not only about file share, but market share.

And there's the academic side to it. Some very serious professionals study all sides of piracy and file sharing (they're not always the same). Social networks, IT companies, psychology teachers, even medical and mathematics researchers.

There's a lot in it, but for most, it's just about being conscious of spreading culture and entertainment for free, including free from cost and freedom of access; and some ego.
Some guys need advertising money to pay for the uploading, others use piracy AS advertising to their other services which make money. Most just volunteer. A few hope to change the greedy, soul killing world.

[dickhead]

RX has pointed it out but let me cut to the bone here. Uploaders come in two categories

1 - Sharing and caring
2 - Fame and vanity

Both are good reasons - but the latter category tend to be looking for fight all the time

[dueda]

Uploaders come in two categories

1 - Sharing and caring
2 - Fame and vanity

Both are good reasons - but the latter category tend to be looking for fight all the time

^ I envy your summarizing and now I'm feeling like some notorious Class 2 uploader who talks too much.

[dickhead]

Uploaders come in two categories

1 - Sharing and caring
2 - Fame and vanity

Both are good reasons - but the latter category tend to be looking for fight all the time

^ I envy your summarizing and now I'm feeling like some notorious Class 2 uploader who talks too much.

see you posted while I was writing my own post. If I had read your own i would have added your name next to RX

[CelrocAmaul]

Thank you all for your great answers! That's really neat, I never realized there was so much behind it. Here's to keeping the internet a little bit more free!

[RodneyYouPlonker]

People who upload to TPB receive no benefit and there's nothing to gain from any of it.  You'll find that people will just get what they want and when they're done they won't seed or anything just cut and run and that's it.

There's no advantages to being an uploader it just depends if it's what you want but there's definitely no advantages to any of it, I guess it's something you can waste your money on if necessary but I wouldn't recommend that if you're pretty much skint you at least need a bit of money to keep things running otherwise I would strongly suggest avoiding it completely as there's no magic pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and to be honest nobody is going to thank you for anything you do most likely just give you grief during the process which is what usually happens.

[dueda]

i would have added your name next to RX

Thank you! But I, in all honesty, never even remotely thought about being mentioned; just figured the guy was making a very authentic question and deserved a "best possible" answer.
Just sure mine wasn't the "best possible", not sure it was my own best possible, but I gave it a try!

Thank you all for your great answers!  That's really neat, I never realized there was so much behind it.  Here's to keeping the internet a little bit more free!

That's the spirit! I'm glad you see it this way!!

---

I know the fine british hat gentleman Donkey Plonkey has blocked us all and can't read this, but I have to post it here:
IF it's no advantages at all, WHY do you do it? Not only uploading, but going after source discs to buy, spend time ripping, encoding, uploading, seeding, promoting, being active in trackers and all...

[rias]

Small developers upload their own games as torrents rather often. It helps build a name for them, and comes at near zero cost or overhead.

Otherwise I'd say it's mostly 'giving back' as it were, or clout.