How to Safely Torrent (i.e., Download Movies, Music, Books, etc.)
So, for whatever reason, you want to download stuff and not get a virus … or get arrested? Here’s what you should know first.
I was a bit hesitant to write this article, as it’s (potentially) kind of a sketchy area. Yet, a few clients have asked me how torrenting works, so I thought I’d provide a basic overview that should be workable for most normal people. If you’re a serious tech person (e.g., if you even know what “using a Tor browser” means), this won’t be the write-up you’re looking for. Rather, it’s meant more for the casual PC or Mac user just looking to safely mess around with torrents.
Okay, let’s get started. First thing: What is torrenting? Well, I could get into all of the tech mumbo-jumbo (terms and explanations for P2P, seeding, leeching, etc.), but to be perfectly honest, when most people ask me what torrenting is, they really mean this: How do you download movies, music, software, etc. from the Internet?
Truly, torrenting is super-interesting and useful technology. And, I’m sure, in many ways, it’s also applicable to perfectly legal pursuits. But, a giant percentage of what it’s used for daily, frankly, is for downloading things illegally — movies, music, software, and other types of files (that one is not generally supposed to). I don’t recommend anyone do anything…
