Security Unlike their predecessors in the
bulletin board system (BBS) scene, topsites aren't advertised broadly. With the increased threat of police raids, topsites have been forced to employ elaborate security precautions in order to stay hidden from authorities. A typical topsite configuration will only allow users to log in from a certain
ident and host (or IP range for users with dynamic IPs), with
SSL encapsulation on all FTP sessions. FTP
bouncers are commonly used to hide the topsite's real
IP address, and to
share network load. Along with an "official name", most topsites are also known in the warez scene by an abbreviation that is two or three letters long. Knowledge of the abbreviation as well as the official name is not shared, even between different scene members. For example, a topsite with the hypothetical name "Blackbox" could be abbreviated as "BBX" and subsequently referred to as "B**" during an
IRC conversation between those with knowledge of the site.
Site channels Activity on the
FTP server is announced by a
Sitebot in a private
IRC channel which is usually invite-only. To receive an invite, users need to issue a command to the FTP server after logging in the site. This ensures that only those with accounts on the FTP have access to the channel. Sitebots typically run
Eggdrop IRC bot software.
Dupe (duplicate) check Release databases record release names and their release date & time, although fields vary from database to database. Examples of other common fields include
ID3 musical genre names (for
MP3 releases), sections, and nuke (release rejection) details.
Release databases are maintained to provide release groups with a service for checking existing release titles (i.e., to avoid duping another group). Some databases contain historical release records dating back to the
BBS era. Note that such databases are uncommon, due to a completely different release naming method (based on the
ZIP file descriptor
FILE_ID.DIZ, as opposed to a
directory name), and lack of information from this period. Release databases are usually updated by automatic processes that either recurse selected topsites searching for new releases (
spidering), or catch pre-release announcements from site channels. Release databases used by topsites are private, but a number of
public websites exist with similar information.
Credit system Credit system controls the amount of data that users can
download. Most sites operate by using an automated credit system. When a user
uploads a file, their account is credited for an amount based on the uploaded file size, commonly multiplied three times. For example, when a user uploads a 15 MiB file, they may receive 45 MiB credits in return. Credits can be later used to download files from the site. Credits can be lost by uploading a bad release that gets
nuked. Nuke multiplier affects the amount of lost credits. Nukes can be either site nukes (local) or scene nukes (global). Site nukes are issued when a release that is uploaded to the topsite violates site rules, such as 'No
VLS' for the MP3 section. Another common site nuke is for backfilling, which is uploading something after a specific amount of time has elapsed from the time of release, usually 5 to 15 minutes. Typically the nuke multiplier for a site nuke is at least 3x, where all couriers responsible for racing the bad release will lose 3x the credits they gained uploading. These nukes will not be echoed out to pre channels, as they only affect the local site. Scene nukes are nukes which are echoed out to
pre channels. Scene nukes usually occur when a release violates scene rules, such as wrong encoder, or when the release is outright bad, such as out of sync. The nuke multiplier for scene nuke on topsites is usually 1x; all the couriers lose all credits gained uploading the release and break even.
Affiliates A
warez group may gain access to a topsite as an affiliate (or "affil"), thus making the site among the group's primary distribution points. Affiliation benefits the warez group as the site will grant a certain number of leech accounts to the group (the number usually depending on the reputation of the group), and the site benefits by becoming one of a collection of sites that has first access to the releases of the group, thus improving its own reputation. Typically, groups will affiliate with several topsites, in order to maximize efficient distribution by couriers to other (non-affiliated) topsites. A group will choose topsites based on geographical location, mostly by country but sometimes by region, such as Northern Europe or Western US. Barring extraordinary circumstances, a group selects just one site for each location. Topsites may have any number of affiliates, and commonly advertise them in the welcome message to indicate to its users the quality of the site. The most exclusive topsites will avoid affiliating with an excessive number of groups for security purposes and also to maintain adequate network resources. Topsites may also remove (or "drop") affiliates for a variety of reasons, including the lack of productivity of the release group, conflict between the site operator and the group, and the group's decision to affiliate with another topsite in the same geographical region. Each affiliate has access to a private, hidden directory on the topsite. This directory is used for uploading new releases before they are made available to other users. When a new release has finished uploading on each of the group's sites, a command is executed to simultaneously copy it into a directory accessible by other users, and trigger an announcement in the topsite
IRC channel. This event is known as a pre-release (or "pre"), and must occur at the same time on every affiliated site. The warez scene relies on strict release
standards, or rules, which are written and signed by various warez groups.
Couriers Couriers are a specific class of topsite users who earn their access by uploading new releases and filling requests. When a courier gains access to a topsite, they are often required to pass a trial test such as uploading a certain amount in a short period of time. Couriers compete (race) against each other for respect, credits, access to other topsites, and fun. Private couriers often operate as independent (iND) couriers. Some couriers band together to form
courier groups which provide support and friendship through camaraderie. ==Staff roles==