I've written numerous blog articles about how members should conduct themselves if they have any kind of negative "past" in the private tracker world, and how to handle it as a TPS (and tracker) member. Now I have no control on how individual trackers handle such issues, and different trackers will handle things differently. Some may just ask you to never do what you did again, and others may put you on the "bad user list" for all trackers to see.
However what I can set guidelines for is how we handle this at TPS. Also note these are more guidelines than hard rules. Because of the circumstances, I may handle the case of one member differently than another. (Every situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.) The staff was having a discussion about this in the staff forum, and we thought about laying down more rules, but since the issue is complicated, I'm writing a blog article instead. (Plus potential applicants can read this and see how we stand.)
First, here ARE some hard and fast rules. If you have ever sold invites before, there is NO amnesty. Do the right thing and leave TPS, as we will never forgive invite selling. This is no n00b error and takes considerable effort to participate in this, and invite selling is one of the worst things you can do as a private tracker member.
If you have ratio cheated - specifically if you rigged your torrent client to give you buffer or a higher ratio without properly earning it, also get out of TPS and don't come back. This is also no n00b move and usually involves you going to one of those "bad user sites" to learn how to do this. Now some trackers consider giving out bonus points on invite forums (if against their rules), or manipulating the bonus point systems of trackers (usually involves collusion between you and another user) a form of cheating and will cause you to be banned. On rare occasions, we have forgiven those transgressions if we get a full and honest confession. Not all who have done this will be forgiven - depends on all of the circumstances.
If you have made dupe accounts at trackers, we also don't forgive that. There is no n00b excuse for doing that. Usually dupe account members are also traders and sellers who were banned and then came back under a new identity.
If you have a "past" (or even a "present" ) and are not upfront with it soon after joining, and you are reported to us by tracker staff with proof of the wrongdoing, you will also be banned without any possible amnesty. Part of the benefit of being at TPS is that members can feel relatively safe in inviting their friends here. Someone who lives a "double life" and pretends to be a good user here compromise the security and safety of our members. For example, if you get an invite from a TPS member and then you get banned and the TPS member gets a PM from tracker staff saying he invited a bad user, you are going to get banned from TPS.
OK, enough about the hard and fast rules. Here is the "kinder, gentler" part of this blog article.
It is already written in the rules that if you joined an invite forum (which may or may not allow trading) as a n00b, you must end your membership to those forums. We would also highly recommend you tell us you were a member of such forums and what you did there. Some of these places may have reviews or discussions, and you can still go there and lurk - just don't log in because that raises suspicion. If we get evidence that a long time TPS member is participating at these places as a member (such as receiving or offering invites there) it could lead to a ban here. After joining TPS and being active here, there should also be no reason for someone to join one of these places. (Note I am not talking about torrent forums, but forums created specifically for activities which break tracker rules like trading, selling or illegal giveaways)
If you have traded in the past, chances are you cannot remain at TPS. We have made very rare exceptions, and only for very special situations. (For example one person confessed to all of his activities to his trackers, got banned at some of them, and stayed at some of them. The main thing with him is he let his trackers know exactly what he did, and then came to us, all very early in his TPS membership.) Anyone who has traded on a regular basis, even after being a member of his trackers for awhile, won't come back to TPS. (should know better)
If you have purchased an invite, we will only forgive you if you did this as a n00b, did not do it often, and came clean with your trackers. Note by coming clean with your trackers, you will probably get banned at the place you bought the invite at and might get on a "bad user list." But by being upfront at TPS upon joining, we will let you stay. If you do it after being here for awhile, you will not be able to stay.
The above also holds true for giving or receiving invites at an "invite forum" if against tracker rules. (like the ones on our No Movement List) Chances are this will lead to a ban at the tracker where you did this, and we may forgive you if you are upfront about this early upon joining TPS. (meaning full disclosure of everything you did) If you are reported to us by trackers and you were not upfront about it, we have to let you go. Obviously you will stop engaging in invite offers and requests there after joining TPS.
P.S. These guidelines can change based upon input by our longstanding tracker staff or by consensus of TPS staff.
However what I can set guidelines for is how we handle this at TPS. Also note these are more guidelines than hard rules. Because of the circumstances, I may handle the case of one member differently than another. (Every situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.) The staff was having a discussion about this in the staff forum, and we thought about laying down more rules, but since the issue is complicated, I'm writing a blog article instead. (Plus potential applicants can read this and see how we stand.)
First, here ARE some hard and fast rules. If you have ever sold invites before, there is NO amnesty. Do the right thing and leave TPS, as we will never forgive invite selling. This is no n00b error and takes considerable effort to participate in this, and invite selling is one of the worst things you can do as a private tracker member.
If you have ratio cheated - specifically if you rigged your torrent client to give you buffer or a higher ratio without properly earning it, also get out of TPS and don't come back. This is also no n00b move and usually involves you going to one of those "bad user sites" to learn how to do this. Now some trackers consider giving out bonus points on invite forums (if against their rules), or manipulating the bonus point systems of trackers (usually involves collusion between you and another user) a form of cheating and will cause you to be banned. On rare occasions, we have forgiven those transgressions if we get a full and honest confession. Not all who have done this will be forgiven - depends on all of the circumstances.
If you have made dupe accounts at trackers, we also don't forgive that. There is no n00b excuse for doing that. Usually dupe account members are also traders and sellers who were banned and then came back under a new identity.
If you have a "past" (or even a "present" ) and are not upfront with it soon after joining, and you are reported to us by tracker staff with proof of the wrongdoing, you will also be banned without any possible amnesty. Part of the benefit of being at TPS is that members can feel relatively safe in inviting their friends here. Someone who lives a "double life" and pretends to be a good user here compromise the security and safety of our members. For example, if you get an invite from a TPS member and then you get banned and the TPS member gets a PM from tracker staff saying he invited a bad user, you are going to get banned from TPS.
OK, enough about the hard and fast rules. Here is the "kinder, gentler" part of this blog article.
It is already written in the rules that if you joined an invite forum (which may or may not allow trading) as a n00b, you must end your membership to those forums. We would also highly recommend you tell us you were a member of such forums and what you did there. Some of these places may have reviews or discussions, and you can still go there and lurk - just don't log in because that raises suspicion. If we get evidence that a long time TPS member is participating at these places as a member (such as receiving or offering invites there) it could lead to a ban here. After joining TPS and being active here, there should also be no reason for someone to join one of these places. (Note I am not talking about torrent forums, but forums created specifically for activities which break tracker rules like trading, selling or illegal giveaways)
If you have traded in the past, chances are you cannot remain at TPS. We have made very rare exceptions, and only for very special situations. (For example one person confessed to all of his activities to his trackers, got banned at some of them, and stayed at some of them. The main thing with him is he let his trackers know exactly what he did, and then came to us, all very early in his TPS membership.) Anyone who has traded on a regular basis, even after being a member of his trackers for awhile, won't come back to TPS. (should know better)
If you have purchased an invite, we will only forgive you if you did this as a n00b, did not do it often, and came clean with your trackers. Note by coming clean with your trackers, you will probably get banned at the place you bought the invite at and might get on a "bad user list." But by being upfront at TPS upon joining, we will let you stay. If you do it after being here for awhile, you will not be able to stay.
The above also holds true for giving or receiving invites at an "invite forum" if against tracker rules. (like the ones on our No Movement List) Chances are this will lead to a ban at the tracker where you did this, and we may forgive you if you are upfront about this early upon joining TPS. (meaning full disclosure of everything you did) If you are reported to us by trackers and you were not upfront about it, we have to let you go. Obviously you will stop engaging in invite offers and requests there after joining TPS.
P.S. These guidelines can change based upon input by our longstanding tracker staff or by consensus of TPS staff.
