SceneTorrents BitTorrent Tracker Shuts Down

[nsane.forums]

SceneTorrents (ScT) has been a respected and well-connected private BitTorrent tracker for more than four years. An invite for the tracker was hard to find, but the lucky few that did get in had little to complain about, until today that is.

A few hours ago ScT put up a sad and unexpected announcement for its 20,000 members, as the site’s operators have decided to close the site for good tomorrow. Thus far the staff refuses to comment on the reason for the shutdown, which has resulted in widespread rumors among the site’s users.

ScT announces that it will close the site tomorrow at 10PM GMT.

Some rumors say that the end of ScT may be related to the raid of a topsite in The Netherlands earlier this week. According to the Dutch news site Tweakers, the ‘ranked’ topsite LOOP had its servers raided in Amsterdam, where 40 terabytes of data was stored. LOOP was one of SceneTorrent’s main content provider according to insiders.

According to other rumors, the shutdown could be a planned operation instead of a response to the raided topsite. In the last weeks the site has encouraged its members to donate, offering double rewards for those who pay up, allegedly raking in as much as $10,000.

Thus far both rumors remain unconfirmed, and the same is true for an eBay auction of the site that went up a few hours ago. Since the staff of the site is not talking, it will probably remain unknown why the site will close its doors now, or what their underlying motivation is.

Article from: TorrentFreak, check out our new blog at FreakBits.

View: Original Article

[chlorophyll]

whts this shit???????everyday hearing bad news about torrrents????i think one day no torrents wil b there,,,IT SHOULD NOT B HAPPENED

[DKT27]

Another site down.-_-

But 20,000 members? It maybe enough for a private tracker but it's not that hurtful as hearin mininova doin this.

[chlorophyll]

Another site down.-_-

But 20,000 members? It maybe enough for a private tracker but it's not that hurtful as hearin mininova doin this.

ya nothing is equal to mininova in my opinion

[DKT27]

Good that Rock Lee is not here. Otherwise he would kill me :P .

[Ambrocious]

I told you that from here on it will only get worse. In about 1 year from now, torrents will have all but been done away with, nothing better will replace it. This is all part of the grand plan of control and oppression globally. Sadly it's true but hey, I'm just some crazy guy right?

[i-con]

Just wait, more trackers will just appear. Takes time to become "elite" though.

[Blah]

regarding a scenetorrents..

15:51:24 USER-#2 >> i got some info for you

15:51:27 USER-#2 >> but keep it secret

15:51:30 USER-#2 >> dont tell anyone

15:51:44 USER-#2 >> past couple months in canada

15:51:50 USER-#2 >> its been tax refund, etc

15:51:55 USER-#2 >> well

15:51:57 USER-#1 >> yes

15:52:03 USER-#2 >> djGrrr is leaving ScT at the end of this month

15:52:08 USER-#2 >> and giving everything to feeling

15:52:12 USER-#1 >> yeah

15:52:14 USER-#1 >> i already knew

15:52:15 USER-#2 >> because hes being prosecuted for tax evasion

15:52:16 USER-#1 >> lul

15:52:21 USER-#1 >> oh

15:52:24 USER-#1 >> that part i did not know

15:52:26 USER-#1 >> but i knew he was leaving

15:52:26 USER-#2 >> hes claimed 25,000 over the past 2 yrs in CAD

15:52:32 USER-#1 >> feeling said so

15:52:32 USER-#2 >> hes pulled in over 120,000 euros over those 2 yrs

15:52:35 USER-#2 >> its caught up with him

15:52:42 USER-#1 >> rofl

15:52:50 USER-#2 >> all the money is tunneled through LinuxHosted inc.

15:52:54 USER-#2 >> djGrrrs company

15:52:58 USER-#2 >> and goes direct into his personal bank account

15:53:10 USER-#2 >> so hes gonna be raped bad

15:53:13 USER-#1 >> lol

15:53:17 USER-#2 >> with ligitations over the next few yrs

15:53:18 USER-#2 >> if anything

15:53:26 USER-#1 >> lol what was he getting the money from?

15:53:30 USER-#2 >> ScT

15:53:34 USER-#1 >> lol

15:53:34 USER-#2 >> donations

15:53:37 USER-#2 >> but it was tunneled through

15:53:37 USER-#1 >> he took donations?

15:53:40 USER-#2 >> LinuxHosted.ca

15:53:42 USER-#2 >> if you remmber

15:53:44 USER-#2 >> yeah

15:53:45 USER-#1 >> yeah

15:53:54 USER-#1 >> why would feeling allow that

15:54:21 USER-#2 >> because feeling did it too

15:54:25 USER-#2 >> for several months

15:54:49 USER-#2 >> ScT staff told me that him taking money to buy the engagement ring and a 5,000 pound PC was true

15:54:51 USER-#2 >> and djGrrr cut himoff

15:54:55 USER-#2 >> only to do the samething

15:54:56 USER-#2 >> lol

15:55:18 USER-#1 >> rofl

15:55:24 USER-#1 >> this is some juicy shizzle

15:55:28 USER-#2 >> word

15:55:31 USER-#2 >> keep it secret

15:55:33 USER-#2 >> dont tell

15:55:36 USER-#2 >> else everyone will find out

15:55:42 USER-#2 >> because i want djGrrr ot leave

15:55:43 USER-#1 >> nah i wont tell anyone

15:55:49 USER-#2 >> so ScT shuts down

15:55:50 USER-#2 >> D:

15:55:51 USER-#1 >> we already knew djgrr is leaving tho

15:55:53 USER-#1 >> feeling told a friend

15:55:55 USER-#2 >> yeah

15:55:58 USER-#1 >> but he didnt say why

15:56:13 USER-#2 >> ye

15:56:15 USER-#1 >> you should show up in court rofl

15:56:19 USER-#2 >> lmfao

15:56:20 USER-#1 >> and be a witness

15:56:23 USER-#1 >> for the other side

15:56:23 USER-#2 >> if it goes to the supreme court

15:56:25 USER-#2 >> if he appeals

15:56:30 USER-#2 >> its about 200 kms from me

15:56:36 USER-#1 >> haha

15:56:41 USER-#1 >> just showing up there would be pwnage

15:56:43 USER-#2 >> lol

15:56:46 USER-#1 >> but actually being a witness in his case

15:56:48 USER-#2 >> Ill just wear my ScT T-Shirt

15:56:49 USER-#1 >> would be even moer pwnage

15:56:53 USER-#2 >> lol

15:56:55 USER-#2 >> that would be epic

15:56:55 USER-#1 >> you can post proof that he is djgrr

15:56:58 USER-#1 >> the owner of sct

15:56:59 USER-#2 >> yeah

15:57:01 USER-#2 >> thats not a problem

15:57:02 USER-#1 >> lul

15:57:04 USER-#2 >> but thats another case

15:57:10 USER-#1 >> lol

15:57:18 USER-#1 >> would be better if he was being prosecuted for that

15:57:21 USER-#2 >> if they actually look into his company during the prosecution

15:57:24 USER-#2 >> hes fucked

15:57:30 USER-#2 >> everyone will come after him

15:57:31 USER-#2 >> MPAA

15:57:32 USER-#2 >> RIAA

15:57:34 USER-#2 >> CRIA

15:57:36 USER-#2 >> all the industries

15:57:42 USER-#2 >> microsoft, etc

15:57:52 USER-#2 >> because they actually have proof

15:57:54 USER-#2 >> of him profitting

21:26:04 @*****2 • I miss ScT already.

21:26:17 @*****2 • I still wanna know who got in legal issues and forced the site to close.

21:26:49 ~SpX21 • i really doubt it was legal issues

21:26:56 @*****2 • Topic in #SceneTorrents: http://i49.tinypic.com/246taf7.png - what was planned and will never happen Sad

21:27:05 @*****2 • What do you think it was?

21:27:25 ~SpX21 • a takedown is highly coordinated, the servers woulda been seized even if they were running nginx proxies they could ask for warrants on traffic and shit

21:27:39 ~SpX21 • sct was fine and they shut it down on their own

21:27:57 ~****3 • O_O

21:28:09 ~SpX21 • think about all the major takedowns, servers seized, all over the news

21:28:20 ~SpX21 • why is sct special, why didnt any of that happen?

21:28:22 ~****3 • yeah it dont add up

21:28:45 @*******1 • yep and normally htey wouldnt have been so nice to let them decide when to close the site

21:28:46 ~SpX21 • what i do know is one of ScTs uppers was in LOOP

21:28:47 @*******1 • lol

21:28:48 ~SpX21 • maybe they got scared?

21:29:12 ~SpX21 • maybe 20k euros goes missing and no one thinks of asking why because someone says its an arrest?

21:29:16 ~SpX21 • believe what you want

21:29:26 ~SpX21 • but i truly believe no one was arrested

21:29:40 ~SpX21 • i think djGrrr got tired of running the site, and without djGrrr there is no ScT

21:29:52 @*****2 • Well all the staff has been active on their irc channel, so no one is in jail at least...

21:30:09 ~SpX21 • and they are all talking and acting all fine and dandy

21:30:16 @*******1 • wasnt it the 2 brithish guys

21:30:21 ~SpX21 • do you think thats how ppl who were arrested and face potential crimes would act?

21:30:21 @*******1 • cant see them online

21:30:30 ~SpX21 • feeling + padro

21:30:33 ~SpX21 • or pedro

21:30:34 ~SpX21 • cant remember

21:30:40 @*****2 • Pedro

21:31:31 ~SpX21 • eitherway, just think about it very well, all everyone is going on is a news post saying staff arrested and we are closing down

21:32:04 ~SpX21 • did i MINDBLAST SOME MINDS IN HERE?

21:32:07 ~SpX21 • i hope so Smile

21:32:10 @*******1 • they might had a lot of transfer from loop

21:32:38 @*******1 • maybe 2 much stickey info on them from that bust

21:32:46 ~****3 • Surprised

21:33:19 @*******1 • lol

21:33:27 ~SpX21 • when a site gets takedown and staff arrested no one knows till the last min and the site is down

21:33:49 ~SpX21 • you dont post "hey guiz my penis is small and the sites going down at 12:93pm On blah blah on 2009. bai now"

21:33:50 ~****3 • ^

21:33:58 ~****3 • ^^

21:34:14 ~SpX21 • fuck the fucking fuckers.

21:35:27 ~****3 • ^^

21:36:55 ~SpX21 • srsly guys dont believe everything, there is MUCH more than meets the eye in this case

21:37:21 ~SpX21 • < > gets arrested but they dont take down the site containing all the evidence?

21:37:21 ~****3 • yeah i didnt believe it :>

21:37:34 ~SpX21 • what kind of retarded feds are running this takedown?

21:37:48 ~SpX21 • do they really think screenies will hold up in court?

21:37:51 ~SpX21 • PHOTOSHOP MOTHERFUCKER

21:38:12 ~SpX21 • also i <3 u *******

21:38:14 ~SpX21 • i really do

21:38:28 @*******1 • its fishy indeed

21:38:36 ~SpX21 • its more than fishy is a fucken whale

21:38:44 @*******1 • but shouldnt they make enough on donations just to keep it running

21:38:54 @*******1 • would have thought they were making a buck or 2

21:39:15 ~SpX21 • lets see, ask for extra donations for a server a month before they are supposedly taken down

21:39:18 ~SpX21 • except the servers are online

21:39:22 ~SpX21 • an staff are in irc and forums

21:39:30 ~SpX21 • talking happy and acting like omg leik the sites gone

21:39:42 ~****3 • could the rumor be true that v2 is coming :>

21:39:58 @*****2 • I don't think so.

21:39:58 ~SpX21 • im not gonna lie ill be in UK in a few months, and i will be meeting feeling and when i see that little scumbag im gonna beat the fuck outta him

21:40:09 @*******1 • kinda stupid pr really

21:40:09 ~****3 • O_O

21:40:13 @*****2 • I'll PAY to see that.

21:40:15 @*****2 • srsly....

21:40:20 @*****2 • Me and feeling don't really get along.

21:40:23 @*******1 • hey users plz migrate to other sites while we setup v2

21:40:24 @*******1 • lol

21:40:47 ~SpX21 • whatever they lost everything SCC is gonna hail as #1 0day from now on

21:41:17 @*****2 • TV's been kicking SCC's into the dirt today with pre times, apparently.

By now most of you already know that ScT will be going offline permanently.

However, due to pending legal issues, we are not at liberty to speak freely about why we've chosen to take down the site.

Members of our staff were arrested and will be undergoing the entire length of the judicial process.

Obviously, in the case of criminal proceedings, it would be downright foolish to comment any further on the situation;

Please bear this in mind and wish them the best of luck.

There have been several theories as to where the donation money (of the recent months) has gone. We'd like to take this opportunity to put all skepticism to rest.

The money was used to purchase new hardware that would ensure our spot as the fastest tracker on the net.

You are free to perform whatever calculations you feel necessary, but in doing so it should become very clear that running a site of this stature costs money.

We feel the overwhelming cynicism is just a product of bad timing compounded with general frustration caused by the current situation.

We sincerely hope that you've enjoyed being a part of our wonderful community over the past 4 1/2 years.

We've certainly enjoyed our members letting us be of service. We've always felt our user base played an equally important role in making SceneTorrents.org a model environment in the torrent world.

The staff would also like to express their gratitude to fellow trackers for their support in such a chaotic time. Several well known communities have voluntarily opened their doors, and have offered our former users a new home.

We appreciate the courtesy and acknowledge the steps being taken to move forward collectively as a community. Your assistance does not go unrecognized.

//ScT Staff

http://filesharefreak.com/2009/12/01/20-new-private-trackers-december-2009-edition/

props to hedeon for posting info