It's still there, though the IP address has changed a bit.

Here's a list of terms that are used on BT sites and their meanings.

BACKEND - Same as TRACKER

BitTorrent {or BT for short} - This is the computer/internet protocol that allows us to share files.

CLIENT - This is the program you use to download the data from torrents to get a file {videos, software, etc}; eg  uTorrent.

CONNECTABLE - This means that your client can communicate properly with the tracker and other clients in the peer list.  You will usually see this in your client as a green, yellow or red symbol.  Green means fully connected to everyone, Yellow means you are partially connected and Red means you are not connected to anyone.  It must be noted that on the tracker you can be listed as not connectable, but still be connected to other peers.

HIT & RUN(ER/ING) - Someone who stops the torrent after the download is finished and doesn't seed back.

INFO HASH - This has a few meanings, based on the same thing, depending on how it's used.  It's basically a check and comparison of the data on the tracker, in your client and the file you are downloading, usually seen as a random set of letters and numbers.  May also be called HASH INFO.

LEECH - A person with a bad ratio.

LEECHER - A person that is downloading a file.

LEECHING - Downloading data.

PEER - Everyone connected to the same torrent, regardless of status; uploader, seeder or leecher.

RATIO - This is how much you have leeched vs how much you have seeded.  It can be shown either as a number {1.000} or as a percent {100%} depending on the website.   Most users should aim for a ratio between 1.000 to 1.500 or 100% to 150%, while heavy uploaders will have a higher ratio.

SEEDER - Is a person that is sending data {part of a file} to other users.

SEEDING - Sending data to other users.

SNATCHED - Means completed download

SWARM - A group of peers, separated by their actions on a single torrent; ie seeding or leeching.

TORRENT - This is the file you download and put into your client so you can download the files {videos, software, etc}.

TOTAL TRAFFIC - This is all the traffic, both up and down for the torrent.

TRACKER - The part of the website that handles the torrent data and requests.

UPLOADER - Is the person that originally uploaded a file.

@Ayax:

Why it doesn't work with Firefox? :-l

I'm using Firefox and it works fine.

@jblsurfer:

Is it just me or is the site MUCH slower as a result of this new look.
and also, just out of plain curiosity, what are the server's specs?

Yes, the server is going much slower than before.

The reason for this is that people are playing around with the site to see all the new stuff. Once people get their fill of viewing the updates/changes, the site will speed up again.

Some files get deleted because they break the rules; ie hetero and bi porn. We don't catch all the rule breakers, but that doesn't mean that we should not delete the ones we do see.

As for files with different versions, it's up to the uploader to clearly state what is different about his upload vs another upload of the same file; ie file size, quality, format, etc.

Many times we get the exact same file but with a few pictures added so it makes the file size different than the well seed version that is already on the site.

Also, some people try to get clever and alter the name so that it doesn't appear to be the same file as one that is already well seeded on the site.

Without knowing the exact files you are talking about, I can't look to see why the file{s} you are talking about were deleted, but the above should give you some ideas.

@Mideseo:

Although I am 'warned" I still like to brainstorm with you guys.
Is it an idea to alter the profile section with a part (of something like):
-movies I have to offer-?

As the moderator for the English forums, I can tell you that only banned people aren't welcome to voice their opinions here. Your punishment status {or lack of} on the tracker isn't an issue.

Yes, please post ideas of features or ideas for forum sections that you think would help turn GT.ru into more of a community.

I grew up in McHenry IL.

Illinois has been extremely liberal over the years.

It was one of the first states to revoke the ban on interracial marriages. Note that only certain towns and counties had this ban {mostly in the southern part}, not the whole state. The state made a blanket removal of the ban across the state.

It was one of the first to revoke ban on sodomy.

Chicago was one of the first to offer benefits to same sex partners of city employees.

We already have software {WinAvi - all} posted that will convert it to the formats you mentioned.

Also, limiting uploads to a few specialist file formats will leave out a lot of people.

02/24/07-02/26/07

New marriage equality bill introduced in Illinois

While the debate for marriage equality heats up nationwide, gay Illinois state representative Greg Harris introduced a bill on Thursday that would legalize same-sex marriage in Illinois, reports the Chicago Tribune.

The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act would change the wording in state law to state that a marriage is between "two persons."

"Illinois is a heartland state but has always been a leader in civil rights and social justice issues. It's the right thing to do," said Harris.

This week New Jersey introduced civil unions for gay couples, joining Vermont, and Connecticut. Massachusetts is the only state that allows same-sex marriages. Civil unions offer many of the legal benefits and protections of marriage but not the title.

Last year opponents of same-sex marriage in Illinois failed to get enough signatures to put a question on the ballot asking voters whether marriage should be defined as a union between "one man and one woman." (The Advocate)

A better idea might be say
0.1 - 0.15 : maximum 1 download, no limit on filesize, but you can only download 50mb of that file (in other words, until you get over 0.15 ratio, you're stuck with only 50mb of the large file you started downloading.) This means people when they first start out will look for torrents that are in high demand to get over that hump asap - that's starts them out with the right habits, and it's good for everyone at gt.ru

That sounds pretty good. The problem is you have to find a file that someone else wants or you could be stuck.

If you are into some of the lesser used torrent sections, then it can be hard to find leechers to share to. Twinks, Youngbloods and hunks will always have someone to leech to, but some of the others may not.

As I said before, this only applies to people using older or bad clients. Most people should not be affected by this.

Anyway, it has no real affect on anyone.

If you upload a file that is affected by this, it will still only have about 5 to 10% {if that much} that has the issue. Everyone else will be showing it as complete.

If everyone was using the newer client versions, then this issue would no longer exist.

Without the word "marriage", we lose a lot of rights from the get go.

The US bases it's laws on marriage and none on civil unions. Between local, state and federal laws we are missing out on over 14,000 protections/rights because we can't get married.

Even if a state allows gay marriage, it does not transfer to the federal gov level; ie the IRS.

The UK has a "separate, but unequal" stance in the way civil unions work. Of course this isn't even mentioning anything to do with immigration and other international issues.

In 2000, they voted for marriage to mean opposite sex couples only. However, it was a narrow victory for the bigots.

Post them under the "Bears" section.

Are video files crashing Windows Explorer on your computer?! Well the fix is in the quote below.

NOTE: There are 2 other ways to fix this, but they involve messing the Registry and that is extremely dangerous, so I will not include those.

"Windows XP Explorer has a 'feature' to provide a preview in the Details box on the left of the file you have selected, if it's supported. Image files, HTML pages, video clips, MP3s, etc are all previewed (even with the folder view open).
If you have a large movie clip and it either is corrupt (ie. no index from a partial download) or it uses an unsupported codec, then Explorer tries to load the whole file. This can slow your computer a lot and prevent deleting/renaming/moving/etc the file until it's finished.

Simply do the following steps:

1. Open a command window (Start->Run, type in 'cmd' hit enter)

2. To remove image preview, type and hit enter
   regsvr32 /u shimgvw.dll

3. To readd image preview, type and hit enter
   regsvr32 shimgvw.dll

4. To remove media preview, type and hit enter
   regsvr32 /u shmedia.dll

5. To readd media preview, type and hit enter
   regsvr32 shmedia.dll

Another way is also to remove the bad file{s}, but the trick is to know which one{s} caused the problem.

NOTE: The fix for this means that you can not use Windows picture previewer. So you will either have to use Windows Paint or get an outside picture software program.

EDIT: After doing some testing, I found that most of you will not have to remove the "image previewer" part in order for this fix to work. So just remove the "media previewer" part first and see if that works, if not then also do the "image previewer".

02/17/07-02/19/07

Schwarzenegger says he would veto same-sex marriage again

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would veto a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage if state lawmakers passed it again this year.

According to the Associated Press, the governor made the statement in answer to a question from a high school student at the California YMCA Youth and Government Conference.

"I wouldn't sign it because the people of California have voted on that issue," the AP quotes Schwarzenegger as saying. He further explained that he would leave it up to a statewide vote instead of having the state legislature or the governor enact a law.

In June 2005 California's legislature was the first lawmaking body in the country to pass a measure legalizing same-sex marriage?a measure Schwarnegger subsequently vetoed. The bill was reintroduced in December by Assemblyman Mark Leno of San Francisco.

Equality California's executive director, Geoffrey Kors, said in a statement that he and his group are disappointed with Schwarzenegger's views and hopes he will reconsider his decision if the bill is up for passage again. "How would the governor feel if his right to marry first lady Maria Shriver had been put to a popular vote?" Kors said. "We urge him to remember that each of us deserves to be treated fairly." (The Advocate)

02/17/07-02/19/07

Jamaican mob attacks three men perceived as gay

Three men thought to be gay were rescued by police after being confined inside a pharmacy in St. Andrew, Jamaica, for an hour. The Jamaica Observer reported Thursday that a 2,000-person mob cornered the trio into the Monarch Pharmacy in Tropical Square.

When police arrived, the group was resistant. According to the article, when authorities attempted to extricate the three from the pharmacy to a police vehicle, one of the men was hit in the back of the head with a rock thrown from the crowd. Police were forced to use tear gas to disperse the angry, shouting mob, which included children.

Under Jamaican law a person can be sentenced to up to nine years in prison if caught having consensual gay sex. Gay rights groups have long branded the island nation as antigay.

"Jamaica has lost its way if men think they can openly flaunt being gay without any consequences," a woman told the Observer. "We don't want that kind of open gay life in this country." (The Advocate)

02/17/07-02/19/07

Gay domestic violence rampant in China

A new Hong Kong study reveals that domestic abuse is especially prevalent in China's gay community. Gay men and lesbians in China are 60% more likely to abuse their partners than straight couples.

The study, conducted by a coalition of LGBT civil rights groups, found that 16% of same-sex relationships suffer from domestic abuse, while only 9% of opposite-sex couples do.

The researchers found that the most common form of abuse involved threats of outing a partner to employers or family members.

Domestic violence is often thought of only as physical violence but can also involve emotional abuse or violence, including undermining of self-confidence, sexual violence, or the threat of violence by a person who is or has been in a close relationship. This can also include financial control and using a partner's sexuality in a bid to blackmail him or her.

Same-sex domestic violence is slowly getting more attention worldwide. Starting January 1 in California, same-sex couples who register with the state as domestic partners pay $23 toward same-sex anti?domestic violence programs, mirroring similar programs the state funds for straights.

In the United Kingdom, the Domestic Violence Crime and Victims Act 2004 specifically acknowledges lesbian and gay couples as possible victims of domestic abuse. The act allows same-sex couples to obtain restraining orders, and it ensures that lesbian and gay victims of abuse have access to the same protection as married couples.

Statistics suggest that as many as one in four LGBT people have suffered or will suffer from domestic violence in their lives. Nineteen percent of American gay men report physical abuse by an "intimate partner" during the previous five years, according to a study published in 2002 in the American Journal of Public Health. (Hassan Mirza, Gay.com/UK)

02/17/07-02/19/07

Hardaway banished from all-star weekend for antigay tirade

The NBA banished Tim Hardaway from All-Star weekend in Las Vegas because of his antigay remarks. Hardaway, who played in five All-Star games during the 1990s, was already in Las Vegas to make a series of public appearances this week on behalf of the league. But after saying ''I hate gay people'' during a radio interview, commissioner David Stern stepped in.

''We removed him from representing us because we didn't think his comments were consistent with having anything to do with us,'' Stern told reporters Thursday at the opening of a fan festival at a Las Vegas casino, part of the NBA's All-Star weekend. Stern said he had not spoken with Hardaway, who left Las Vegas on Thursday, but he planned to do so.

While Stern said a discussion about openly gay players could be part of future rookie orientation programs, he doesn't see a need to address the league. ''This is an issue overall that has fascinated America. It's not an NBA issue,'' Stern said, pointing to the ongoing debate over same-sex marriage at the state and federal levels.

''This is a country that needs to talk about this issue,'' he said. ''And, not surprisingly, they use sports as a catalyst to begin the dialogue.''

Hardaway apologized for his comments, which came a week after John Amaechi became the first former NBA player to say he was gay. ''As an African-American, I know all too well the negative thoughts and feelings hatred and bigotry cause,'' Hardaway said Thursday in a statement issued by his agent. ''I regret and apologize for the statements that I made that have certainly caused the same kinds of feelings and reactions.

''I especially apologize to my fans, friends, and family in Miami and Chicago. I am committed to examining my feelings and will recognize, appreciate, and respect the differences among people in our society,'' he said. ''I regret any embarrassment I have caused the league on the eve of one of their greatest annual events.''

The NBA brings in many former players to take part in various All-Star events. Hardaway had already represented the league in Las Vegas earlier this week at a Habitat for Humanity event and a fitness promotion. The former U.S. Olympian was also scheduled to be an assistant coach at a wheelchair game Thursday night and later appear at the fan-oriented Jam Session until Stern told him he was no longer welcome.

''His views are not consistent with ours,'' Stern said. (Melissa Murphy, AP)