FirstLoveMovies

DDL links if allowed to be the norm here will only cause problems and should 'only' be provided if you can't share on emule . Any DD links that one does post should also be confirmed by the person posting them. I think they are beneficial to get a movie here but don't think they should be permanent. Making them permanent takes away the effectiveness of emule. Emule is why we have files that have been here since 2004.

I have lots of experience with DDL and know of many disadvantages that they have. To name just a few. They die! Many contain rar or zip files that can include anything such as wrong movie or worse a virus. Free users are very limited and to pay a service leaves a money trail. When we find DDL they are often from one of many services. Some of these services are honey traps and they don't exactly advertise which ones they are.

I know some of the obvious advantages such as sometimes it is the only way to get a file.

What are some other advantages is what I would like discussed. Please feel free to express how you feel about them.

Here's an actual example:

Somebody posts a really interesting movie as DDL. Another member downloads it and posts an ed2k
link. Now, since there is an ed2k link, the original DDL is deleted by an admin. If I was late and missed the DDL, I'd have to spend days for downloading this movie via ed2k (because the member who shares has really poor bandwidth) instead of downloading the DDL in few minutes

After some time, nobody will be sharing the file anymore, but the DDL link *might* still work, except it was deleted

I think the releaser should have a say in which format to post. We don't want to miss interesting stuff just because only DDL is available. Not everybody has flat rate broadband connection that is suitable for eMule, but they can still contribute. If the original DDL link is deleted, there has to be someone who is committed to sharing the file via ed2k at reasonable speed and fulfill reshare requests whenever needed!

If the releaser chose ed2k format, it should be banned to post DDL to the same movie as long as the ed2k link is shared, unless the DDL is an upgrade.

Of course we'll accept a file any way a poster is willing to give it to us. eMule is preferred but we've never barred DD if there wasn't already an eMule source of equal quality.

• If there's a DD link but no eMule link, a file will be gone forever when the DD link dies.
• DD links will die. Once dead, they're useless and clutter up the message base, along with causing confusion.
• Shares/reshares in eMule are easy - drop the file into a folder and click Reload. Reshares usually happen within a day, often sooner. If someone on FLM has the file (and they almost always do), a reshare always happens.
• Reshares in DD require someone to intentionally go to the time and trouble to upload the file somewhere. Reshares just won't happen.
• I've already said I'll stop removing DD links but a film should still not be a "release" until there's an eMule link. That's the continuity needed to ensure you get the same file. Otherwise there'll be 10 different versions with one being the correct film, one a mis-named film, and eight being pr0n.
• Sure, eMule is slower. So what? Most people won't bother sharing anything if they have to do any work. If someone wants a file, they'll take it however it's available, however long it takes. A DD link is just gravy. The uploaders' convenience is the most important - otherwise they wouldn't bother. It doesn't matter if the uploader only has 10K bandwidth to spare for sharing. If you're impatient, use the DD link... IF it still works.
• Like ptg said, you don't know whether a .RAR or .ZIP from a DD site is infected, you don't know whether the site is a honeypot, you leave a trail, and you often have to pay. You don't know who uploaded a DD file - can you trust it? If someone posts DD links on FLM, they must verify the links are the right file and that they're not harmful.

There are too many advantages to eMule compared to DD's sole advantage of speed and I don't think letting FLM 'degenerate' to just another DD board is wise. I think accepting DD links is fine and we won't delete them, but only the poster has to support them and a film won't be a release until there's an eMule link. Sound fair?

mimzy wrote:Here's an actual example:

Somebody posts a really interesting movie as DDL. Another member downloads it and posts an ed2k
link. Now, since there is an ed2k link, the original DDL is deleted by an admin. If I was late and missed the DDL, I'd have to spend days for downloading this movie via ed2k (because the member who shares has really poor bandwidth) instead of downloading the DDL in few minutes

I already mentioned a solution. Just keep them up longer. Currently the routine has been to delete them as soon as the ed2k was in place. We can easily modify this by not deleting it until a couple of full sources are on emule. Or depending on the circumstance we can keep it up longer if needed. The point is to encourage the mule in order to make files permanently available. DDL we have potential to get people who never share it on emule. DDL will eventually die and many only allow a limited number of downloads and many require premium users only to download meaning you have to pay!!!!!!!!!

mimzy wrote: After some time, nobody will be sharing the file anymore, but the DDL link *might* still work, except it was deleted

Thats what reshares are for. emule it can always be reshared by anyone and it is free. DDL you are encouraging in some cases someone to have to pay for a service to re up a DDL. emule always free.

mimzy wrote: I think the releaser should have a say in which format to post. We don't want to miss interesting stuff just because only DDL is available. Not everybody has flat rate broadband connection that is suitable for eMule, but they can still contribute. If the original DDL link is deleted, there has to be someone who is committed to sharing the file via ed2k at reasonable speed and fulfill reshare requests whenever needed!

I never said not to have DDL. Its biggest advantage is that sometimes it is the only way to get a file. However is this really a good idea to 'encourage' DDL considering its disadvantages I mentioned or is this just a convenience to 'you'? The system we have been going by has worked for years.

mimzy wrote:If the releaser chose ed2k format, it should be banned to post DDL to the same movie as long as the ed2k link is shared, unless the DDL is an upgrade.

This is how it has been and it works. I welcome DDL if that is all someone can provide or claim they can provide.

To allow DDL to be permanent is encouraging this format as the way to release. Emule has proven to work better.

a very good point that phuzzy mentioned is probably the main reason we stick to emule,ddl isn't sharing,no doubt that we get a lot of 'grab'n run' visitors here.i belive ddl links should be hidden as soon as an emule link is up and running.
i appreciate mimsy's point,i get almost all my stuff from file hosts or newsgroups,i hate waiting for emule.
maybe previously hidden links could be made available on request,or an even better idea... how about a ddl section only available to main contributors.

Phuzzy4242 wrote:If there's a DD link but no eMule link, a file will be gone forever when the DD link dies.

I do think that there has to be an ed2k link in order to qualify as a RELEASE, but it's easy to generate an ed2k link once you have the file, and unverified file wouldn't qualify as a release anyway. If the releaser wants to do us a favor and provide an optional DDL to the same file for faster download, I think it's OK...

I won't provide DDL for my own releases, because I want people to download from my eMule. This way I gather eMule credits, which makes my eMule downloads faster. But it's up to every releaser to decide.

ed2k hash can be also used to generally identify a file and check if a file downloaded from another source is the same file that has been posted here. So ed2k link is in any case desirable.

Phuzzy4242 wrote:Reshares usually happen within a day, often sooner. If someone on FLM has the file (and they almost always do), a reshare always happens.

Well, it depends... I have had different experience.

Phuzzy4242 wrote:A DD link is just gravy. The uploaders' convenience is the most important - otherwise they wouldn't bother. It doesn't matter if the uploader only has 10K bandwidth to spare for sharing.

If I'm the downloader, it does matter to me

ptguardian wrote:The point is to encourage the mule in order to make files permanently available. DDL we have potential to get people who never share it on emule.

I think banning DDL would not necessarily encourage long-term eMule sharing. Most people remove the file from shares as soon as the download completes anyway (and those who don't have often so long queue that it takes months to download anything). On the other hand, some people who download via DDL may share the file via eMule.

ptguardian wrote:I welcome DDL if that is all someone can provide or claim they can provide.

I bet if you can choose between slow ed2k and fast DDL, you always use ed2k

I think we have a little bit of double moral here.

mimzy wrote:

ptguardian wrote:I welcome DDL if that is all someone can provide or claim they can provide.

I bet if you can choose between slow ed2k and fast DDL, you always use ed2k

I think we have a little bit of double moral here.

It is called being flexible. You are making it sound like we are asking you to choose to have DDL or not. No one currently is saying to ban them. Read our comments again. It is unanimous that we think they are OK but with limitations. Meaning we need to be mindful of any potential problems that may occur and circumvent as many as possible.

Emule is not perfect but is has done a lot for us and should be the main focus. DDL can be an aid to getting a file to emule. It has been in the past and it currently is. The only thing that has changed is how we deal with the links. This is why I started this thread so we can collaborate together and agree on some things that could work. If they prove not to work we can change our approach as needed.

Something I would like to agree on is to put all the DD links under the code option.
Example[Code]Password [Code] Our anonymous service has proven to cause some problems if we try and copy/paste the DDl links. The password that is sometimes needed if it is a url, it too is not copy/paste friendly.

'put all the DDL and any needed password under the code option'

Agreed?

ptguardian wrote:Something I would like to agree on is to put all the DD links under the code option.
Example[Code]Password [Code] Our anonymous service has proven to cause some problems if we try and copy/paste the DDl links. The password that is sometimes needed if it is a url, it too is not copy/paste friendly.

'put all the DDL and any needed password under the code option'

Agreed?

I doubt many people will bother doing it so it'll end up being another admin responsibility.

Phuzzy4242 wrote: I doubt many people will bother doing it so it'll end up being another admin responsibility.

Mimzy has pushed a lot on to you and I have not seen any of the other admins doing things as of late to help. I can understand why you wouldn't want another task.

It may take time to get people used to doing this with links. Lets say that the links do get put into code is this a good idea to you?

To quote someone who doesn't do this, highlight the links and click the code button doesn't take much. If you want, when I see someone I will do this if needed.

Its main disadvantage is that the links aren't clickable inside a code box. Putting passwords inside a code box makes sense but not links.