IRC (Internet Relay Chat)

We don’t go into great details (or any) about IRC and its functions, features and commands - there are hundreds of sites out there that can explain IRC and how to use it. I’ll leave that to knowledge specialists of IRC, like www.irchelp.org.

But if you want things first, IRC is the place to be. It is one notch closer to the top of the illegal distribution pyramid - this is the place the release groups pump out their stuff. But you probably won’t find that tidbit of information listed as an IRC ‘feature’ on any software vendor’s website.

 

Finding illegal content on IRC.

There are generally only two major techniques that allow users to get hold of illegal files in IRC.

First, there is “Fserve” a user sets up a File Server in a channel that allows others to browse the shared files and download them. This method is defined as a ‘user-to-user’ connection, and only a limited number of people are allowed in the Fserve at any given time. Download speeds are moderately slow in Fserves (especially ones with current material), with multiple people downloading from it simultaneously - thus they are losing popularity.

Second, there is “XDCC” (server-to-user) servers, which are much superior to FServes. These are usually run by people who are into FXP boards or in the ’scene’. They employ people to hack into computers with fast internet connections and install XDCC servers (or bots) which are used to distribute pirated goods (but not all XDCCs are hacked computers). XDCCs, too, have a limited amount of people allowed to download at the same time, so when a release is popular you are placed into a waiting line. That way good download speeds will be guaranteed and they’re often very fast.