Okay, so you've chosen and installed a BT client, scanned the sites, picked something to snag, and wondered if I'd ever get around to finishing this damn tutorial. What to do now?

Believe it or not, you've done the tough stuff already.

The next thing to do is set aside some space for everything. I have a folder on my C drive labelled "BT Download". Inside I have folders for "Music" and "Books". Everything I download is in a seperate folder. This is important especially in music, where two completely unrelated torrents might have files with the same name, such as the ever popular "Track 1". You just have to admire people with that much imagination.

Having gotten that ready, you then go to the web page for the item you wish to download. Somewhere on that page you will see a link to download a file. This link will usually say "Download" or it will have the name of a file with an extension of ".torrent". This is called a torrent file, and it is used to connect your client to that particular swarm, and no other. When asked where to put this file, I will make a new folder in the appropriate place and name it after the item I'm downloading. If I'm getting a Neil Young concert from Feb. 27, 1971, for example, I'll name the folder "NY 1971-02-27". When you collect bootlegs for a long while, you get used to using that dating scheme for easier sorting. Some folks might want to put the venue in there, as well, but I save that for the lists and labels.

Once you have the torrent file, you are ready to go. Open up your client, then click on "torrent" or "start torrent", depending on what client you've chosen (I use utorrent, so I'll be instructing from that). The program will kick up a search window, so you can find your torrent file. Go to the folder you've created, and click on that file.

The client will then ask you where you want to put the new files. I always put them in the same folder as the torrent file. Why complicate things?

After you click on a place, the client takes over. You really don't need to do anything more, except remember to share. You can stop the download anytime, and pick up right where you left off later. That's one of the best things about BT.

The buttons on top and the tabs on the bottom are pretty much self explanatory, so I'll leave that alone unless I'm asked to explain it. The space in the middle has your download info, and that's where the action is. On my client, I have the info organized like this, from left to right.

1) Torrent name.

2) Torrent number. Since I have cable, I have the bandwidth to handle four or five torrents at once. If you have DSL, you might want to keep it at one or two. Remember, you only have so much bandwidth and the different torrents must share it. If you open too many, all will slow down, and surfing the net at the same time will be a hassle.

3) Download size. BT was designed to help people upload large amounts of info. I have been on torrents that were up to nine gigabytes.

4) Amount of data downloaded.

5) Percentage completed.

6) Status. This will usually say "downloading" or "seeding".

7) # of seeds. This is the number of people in the torrent who have 100% and are continuing to upload, THAT YOU ARE CONNECTED TO. There might be 55 people seeding from all over the world, but if your client has only connected to 18 of them, that is the number that will show on the client. There is also, on utorrent, a number in parenthesis called a "scrape". This, in the example given, would be 55.

8) # of peers. These are the other people downloazding. You will connect to them because you will swap data with them, so that everybody, including you, finishes sooner. This works just like the # of seeds slot.

9) Download speed.

10) Upload speed.

11) ETA. Since speeds can vary quickly, take this data with a grain of salt.

12) Amount of data uploaded.

13) Share ratio. This should always, when possible end up above one.Since upload speeds are slower than download speeds, this almost always means staying on after you complete the download. The only exception is when the original uploader is uploading very slowly on a popular torrent. I am, as I write this, downloading a SBD of the Jeff Beck Group in 1972. I've downloaded 76.9% and have a share ratio of 1.76. Except for the hiatus while I moved, I stayed on, while the other leechers AND the seeder came and went, so most of the other leechers have gotten the data from me, not the seeder.

14) Available data. This is how many copies of the complete data the client sees on your computer AND the computers of those you're connected to. No one is looking at your hard drive, so don't worry. Your client is announcing how much of the data you have.

This last one is interesting. Suppose I am on a torrent with one other leecher and no seeder. I have 80% and the other guy has 45%. If my 80% includes all the data for the 55% he still needs, and his 45% includes all the data for the 20% that I still need, then we can just swap the data and both of us will complete WITHOUT the seeder. It doesn't happen often, but it's something to look for if you see something you want that isn't being seeded.

It is very helpful if the client has access to ports that are not firewalled. You will know if yours are by looking at the torrent stats at the website you're downloading from. They all have ways to show if you are firewalled. Firewalling can slow things down by making you impossible to connect to unless you initiate the connection. If there are 10 peers and 8 of them are firewalled, that torrent will run slowly because those 8 people will never connect with each other. Firewalls are very useful tools, but should be adjusted to suit your BT client. That is usually pretty easy. Go get your modem manual and read THIS and you'll be good to go.

One last thing about the process itself- BT enables you to have great download speeds, but does not insure it. SOmetimes you just have to wait because things are moving slowly. Other times, the people on the other end may be using a work computer that has to be off at night, or have problems with their systems. Always remember that you were getting something for free in the first place, and either wait for it or move on to something else. I've gotten some real gems just from hanging on.

DIfferent things will come in different file formats, and may require fiddling with. Music files will almost always be compressed, but many sites require that to be "lossless" compression, so that no wavelengths are lost in translation. I download from those sites almost exclusively. The most common that you'll see are .flac and .shn. There is another (.ape) that I see once in a blue moon, but it hasn't really mattered yet. Download the free programs behind those links to check the data on the music files and decompress them to .wav files that you can burn.

DVD files are usually uncompressed, and in a format that can be burned straight to disc. I don't know why.

Comic books will usually be made to be read with CDisplay, a great little viewer that also works with .jpg, bitmap, .gif and who knows what else. Some comics will be in Adobe format, as will most other texts.

That all said, you're ready to roll. I've found a wealth of information and entertainment within easy reach by using this system, and I'm sure you will as well. Get in the habit of keeping lists EARLY. Once you have a big pile and want to do some trading, that list will become necessary, and a daunting task to begin at that stage. I'm available for questions.

And in a year or so, send me your list. You might have found something I've been looking for!