IPFilter.dat Updater + Utilities

Hello;

This has been suggested multiple times, but these threads are old and perhaps lack current standards:

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=1367

http://forum.utorrent.com/viewtopic.php?id=1374

I suggest a limited IPfilter.dat utilities form in the options, namely Refresher and Updater.

Refresh Current List:

I realize this can be achieve by right-click on the peer tab and refreshing. This is misleading, in the fact that does it only apply to the current torrent listed? I propose to create a specific menu in the options folder for IPfiltering. Clicking this refresh button refreshes the current IPFilter.dat.

Updater:

A simple field that will take a URL. All it does it download the file from that URL and put it to IPFilter.dat location. It will do this with specified frequency if you choose or just update when you click on the update now button.

Formats:

Support basic formats: uTorrents basic format, plus perhaps the most popular out there, like P2B Version 3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PeerGuardian) format. Also not needed, but limited 7z/zip/rar support?

WHY:

Especially recently PG and other blocklists are becoming very popular. Other popular lightweight clients (just as Transmission: http://www.transmissionbt.com/) already include this, which just has a simple "download block list" and "apply block list" buttons.

Many reason why to include, mainly:

1) Limited # of programs. Do not have to have 2 or 3 programs running to apply this simple feature.

2) Lots of people just want it applied to there utorrent stuff, not globally. Just have utorrent manage this inside itself with the peers it connects to. Something that isn't achieve in PG or BLM.

The features are already implemented basically. uTorrent is by far the most popular bittorent client. Even if you do not want to support other formats, just adding a form with a "refresh" and a URL field with a "Download" button people will start using it. Furthermore people will start creating popular lists in utorrent format for use with the URL updater, if utorrent had one. Having uTorrent add 2 VERY simple features will keep uTorrent one of the top, and doesn't add any "bloat-ware" to the program.

Adding 7z/RAR/ZIP support to the blocklists may bloat uTorrent, which we do not want to do, if so can scrap those options. Also adding P2B Version 3 file formates might again blaot uTorrent, if so, can just keep uTorrent simple format. uTorrent is already one of the most popular, if you supply a easy way to update, Blocklists will create a uTorrent IPFilter.dat file themselfs.

Frequently denied request. We have no interest in automating ipfilter updates.

There are already a few user contributed ipfilter updaters that utilize freeware tools like wget and 7za. It'd be pretty easy to add a batch file to Task Scheduler (in Windows) that performs a weekly update.

What happens if Bittorrent, Inc. offers such a feature and Bluetack decides to block Bittorent content servers on their next update? For this reason, I think IP filters will likely remain a private effort.

I do not see it frequently denied? A quick search on the forums show that is hasn't been frequently denied or suggested in over a year...

I do see 3rd party programs doing this... however I do not want to open 2 or 3 programs everytime I want to download a torrent.

Anyway, having one button (and one URL form) to download an ipfilter.dat and save it would not bloat the software, and I believe many would use it. Although the above post is correct in that a Windows Task Scheduler would be cleanest if uTorrent doesn't want a simple download button.

It's a sham specially with other Light-Weight Torrent clients like Transmission (http://www.transmissionbt.com/) see how useful and helpful these features are and put them into their clients... well uTorrent one of the largest still doesn't have his very light-weight feature. Including the feature doesn't FORCE anyone to use it, and the few lines of code required is just an added feature to uTorrent impressive list of other features. If no one used it, then fine it's small enough to ignore. Although I'm sure many would use it espeically if sites started hosting uTorrent ipfilter.dat list's for free.

Why would Bluetack decide to block bittorent content servers? By default uTorrent would leave the Update URL blank and auto updates would be by default off. If someone wishes to use it, they would go to a site:

http://www.iblocklist.com/list.php?list=nxs23_ipfilterx

like the one above. They offer updated lists (as many other sites would) free to download. This particular list is already an ipfilterx, and the link above includes a "update URL" which would then be copied into the utorrents ipfilter URL. Then when the user clicks "download" it would safe the current list to the computer.

If for somereason iblocklist (or bluetack) blocks this activaty, the user would simple find another free site that offers ipfilter.dat downloads and updates, and put that into there uTorrent ipfilter URL field. By default the URL feild will be blank, so it doesn't matter who blocks it, it's up to the user to put a vaild Update URL into it.

... But they are not useful. Any company supporting the use of premade lists... is deluded or getting a kickback themselves.

Use a blocklist you make yourself, from peers you see yourself causing trouble by either taking up your connection slots, or by sending bad data.

I find the blocklist manager program from bluetack to be quite useful, at least it makes me feel a BIT safer. you combine their lists with logged hashfails -- but how do you log the connection slot issue with peers?

And could someone reference this statement?

... But they are not useful. Any company supporting the use of premade lists... is deluded or getting a kickback themselves.

http://neuron2neuron.blogspot.com/2006/05/blocklist-balderdash.html

http://www.slyck.com/story1593_MediaDefender_Leak_Offers_BlueTack_Users_a_Reality_Check