(OT) Bit Torrent usage ...

[Erik Hemdal]

> Can anyone explain, in ordinary language, what possible
> advantage it would give me over, say, wget?
> 
> Mike

I'll try to help.

If you use a conventional tool, even wget, you are making one connection to
a remote server.  If that server goes down, or slows down, your transfer
slows down too.  Regardless of the bandwidth you have available, you are
limited by the bandwidth of the remote server (or of the slowest link
between you).

Again, if the transfer is interrupted, you lose.  You must start again.
More than once, I've lost a complete Red Hat download because, after
downloading 80% of (say) a CD image, the connection failed somewhere and all
was lost.

BitTorrent establishes multiple connections between your computer and others
which have the files you want.  The  files are transferred in multiple
pieces.  If a single connection fails, you only lose a portion of the data
you are transferring; the previously downloaded parts are still valid.
Since you have multiple connections, you are less likely to overwhelm any
one of them, and more likely to use all of the bandwidth you have to receive
data.

BitTorrent manages the incoming pieces and makes sure they are intact and
correct.

In payment for a more-efficient download, your system also turns into a
server for the length of time you are running BitTorrent.  So others are
downloading from you at the same time you are downloading from others.  

Erik