I joined Digg sometime around 2008 when the first videos of those crazy Russians climbing giant cranes first hit the web. I was over the moon with Digg but around 2010 one of my college roommates started yammering about this site Reddit and how much better it was. I don’t think I actually visited Reddit until 2011, and even then I lurked for a year before I even made an account and started commenting on things. But the downfall of Digg and rise of Reddit was swift, and back then when Aaron was alive it really was a great site.

Friendly reminder to all private tracker users: take screenshots of your profiles on a regular basis. Do not listen to idiots yammering on about how they can be faked by editing the html code, or how after x years they served someone no purpose, or any other excuse to not keep tracker proofs on hand.

Situations like this come up more often than might be expected. Right now, BLU is doing open applications for new members to join, and one of the requirements is multiple tracker proofs to increase the chances of being approved.

When a tracker dies, sites take in refugees as a service to those who are displaced. But you aren’t getting an invite without proof that you were a member. And again, it doesn’t matter that you could edit the html code to spoof all the stats; staff can just check the actual account if they want to.

You never know when a new site may open that you want to join, or a site you are on may go down temporarily or for good, or a tracker you’ve been eyeing to join suddenly does open applications.

Don’t wait until it is too late. If you don’t have proofs, make them today. Screenshot your full profile in your browser, edit the image if need be just to blur out your passkey if it is visible, and save the image in a folder with all your other proofs. Set a reminder to update them every 90 days or so.

Very kind gesture from MTV. They are a great TV site that has been steadily improving these past few years.

Once Upon a Time in Shaolin

For movies, the best is PTP. It takes time and effort to join. Some more accessible alternatives would be BHD, BLU, and FL.

For TV, the best is BTN. They are currently closed outside of personal invites, so virtually impossible to join at the moment. Some more accessible alternatives would be MTV, BLU, and FL.

For music, the best is RED. They have a hard economy, so if you want any easier economy and overall experience the best alternative is OPS. Soulseek is also a must if you are looking for music.

For games, the best is GGn. Nothing really comes close in the private tracker ecosystem. There is PxC, but they are light-years behind in terms of breadth and depth of content. More accessible alternatives would be in the public tracker space like 1337x and Rutracker.

For audiobooks, the best is MAM, which is also the easiest private tracker to join for someone who is not on any private trackers yet. Start here, even if you’re not looking for audiobooks. Seriously, this is the best private tracker to learn the ropes on.

For ebooks, the best is BIb. I may be wrong, but I don’t think they are recruiting at the moment. A far more accessible alternative would be MAM.

For literally every single person who has asked, is currently asking, or will ask in the future some iteration of “how do I join these trackers/where do I start/can you invite me to tracker x,” the answer stays the same: join MAM or RED via irc interview, increase your user class with time and a little effort, and then you will unlock a subsection of forums where other trackers offer recruitment threads. Read the recruitment requirements, make sure you meet them, message the recruiter asking for an invite, wait patiently, and you’ll receive an invite link to join said tracker. Congratulations, you are now a member of your second private tracker! Repeat this process on tracker #2 until you have accounts everywhere your little heart desires. You are now “climbing the ladder.”

What’s at the top of the ladder? The cream of the crop trackers, those best in class communities that everyone wants but very few put in the work to actually join: the “cabal” sites. They are called cabal because the staff from cabal trackers will reach out to each other if you get caught breaking the rules, and you’re likely to be banned across the board on all cabal trackers you are a member of if your rule violation is bad enough. There is very little slack given at this level, so you best know what you’re doing.

And once you’ve climbed to the top, diversify. There are best in class usent indexers like the ones that prefer to not be discussed publicly, there are ddl sites like SIG, wdma sites that live on like unicorns as the piracy landscape shifts with gains and losses, forums specifically for piracy and tracker discussion, and of course…magic sites (good luck, better pack a lunch).

It’s a fun ride, being a part of all this. But it isn’t for everyone. Just find whatever works best for you and enjoy it for as long as you can.

For movies, the best is PTP. It takes time and effort to join. Some more accessible alternatives would be BHD, BLU, and FL.

For TV, the best is BTN. They are currently closed outside of personal invites, so virtually impossible to join at the moment. Some more accessible alternatives would be MTV, BLU, and FL.

For music, the best is RED. They have a hard economy, so if you want any easier economy and overall experience the best alternative is OPS. Soulseek is also a must if you are looking for music.

For games, the best is GGn. Nothing really comes close in the private tracker ecosystem. There is PxC, but they are light-years behind in terms of breadth and depth of content. More accessible alternatives would be in the public tracker space like 1337x and Rutracker.

For audiobooks, the best is MAM, which is also the easiest private tracker to join for someone who is not on any private trackers yet. Start here, even if you’re not looking for audiobooks. Seriously, this is the best private tracker to learn the ropes on.

For ebooks, the best is BIb. I may be wrong, but I don’t think they are recruiting at the moment. A far more accessible alternative would be MAM.

For literally every single person who has asked, is currently asking, or will ask in the future some iteration of “how do I join these trackers/where do I start/can you invite me to tracker x,” the answer stays the same: join MAM or RED via irc interview, increase your user class with time and a little effort, and then you will unlock a subsection of forums where other trackers offer recruitment threads. Read the recruitment requirements, make sure you meet them, message the recruiter asking for an invite, wait patiently, and you’ll receive an invite link to join said tracker. Congratulations, you are now a member of your second private tracker! Repeat this process on tracker #2 until you have accounts everywhere your little heart desires. You are now “climbing the ladder.”

What’s at the top of the ladder? The cream of the crop trackers, those best in class communities that everyone wants but very few put in the work to actually join: the “cabal” sites. They are called cabal because the staff from cabal trackers will reach out to each other if you get caught breaking the rules, and you’re likely to be banned across the board on all cabal trackers you are a member of if your rule violation is bad enough. There is very little slack given at this level, so you best know what you’re doing.

And once you’ve climbed to the top, diversify. There are best in class usent indexers like the ones that prefer to not be discussed publicly, there are ddl sites like SIG, wdma sites that live on like unicorns as the piracy landscape shifts with gains and losses, forums specifically for piracy and tracker discussion, and of course…magic sites (good luck, better pack a lunch).

It’s a fun ride, being a part of all this. But it isn’t for everyone. Just find whatever works best for you and enjoy it for as long as you can.

It’s virtually the same irc interview so if you don’t have another means of scoring your invite then the two are nearly even in terms of difficulty to join.

It’s virtually the same irc interview so if you don’t have another means of scoring your invite then the two are nearly even in terms of difficulty to join.

It’s virtually the same irc interview so if you don’t have another means of scoring your invite then the two are nearly even in terms of difficulty to join.

1337x and rutracker