Is Direct Connect still 'a thing'?

I remember using it a lot a few years ago in the early 2000s and I wonder if that's still used...?

If it is, which client should one be using?

31 comments

I've got bad news for you, what you consider a few years ago is two entire decades.

61
- No, that can't be right.
  
  13
  
  Yeah no way, the 90s were something like 10 years ago and... wait now we're in...
  Ohh... Ohh no...
  
  8
a few years ago in the late 1900s

30
- Oh man why didn’t you say it was last week!
  
  5
- In the 20th century
  
  1
That is a long time ago that I have heard anyone say that. Wasn't there a client software called DC++ or something like that?

21
- Yup. Where people would share their entire c drive to be able to join servers...
  
  Their entire c drive..... Everything.
  
  20
  
  They'll get your system32!
  
  8
  
  That was super helpful to just grab one or two broken files from any installed software though. I just had a 250GB ISO with 2MB of compressed zeroes to get into servers with ridiculous requirements. Fun times...
  
  2
- We were using DC++ on campus to share files over twelve years ago!
  
  9
Purdue University still has a campus-only file sharing network called DTella that's DC++. It been getting smaller, but there were a few members that shared 50+ TB at one point.

13
It is still used. There are lots of various hubs, a bunch of niche hubs with content that is almost impossible to find anywhere else, especially if it's something really old and obscure, not all of them are public. Speaking of clients, try AirDC++ for instance, thats what I use right now

9
Irc, sunxdcc.com has most servers fairly well indexed

5
Became a thing again for me after the death of 32p without a replacement.

4
- Exactly, unfortunately dc is the only place where you can find 32p content.
  
  1
  
  What's 32p?
  
  0
- Aaaaand here’s my mandatory plug for ThreeTwo, a comic book curation app (like Mylar) but with integration with DC++ by the way of AirDC++
  
  Check it out if that’s your thing: https://github.com/rishighan/threetwo
  
  Apologies if my plug is in bad taste, but I’m trying to reach as many interested users as possible to get them to test and give me feedback.
  
  1
I use it, but due to it being more cumbersome, I go to IRC first. If I can't find it on IRC, I can usually get it from DC++.

4
- Not sure if joking or...? If you're joking it went over my head :)
  
  1
  
  Not joking. This all works, probably a lot better than you may think.
  
  1
- How do you search files on IRC? You're joking, right?
  
  1
  
  There are IRC/XDCC search engines. I don't know their exact method of scraping IRC servers, but they kinda work.
  
  Also, if you know the right servers and channels, most have some kind of search index or bot.
  
  2
  
  Not joking. There are sites like sunxdcc for searching from the web, and otherwise, !s in chats to search. Works great, honestly.
  
  1
- Are you using xdcc.eu or sunxdcc.com, or are you searching directly through IRC on each of your preferred servers?
  
  0
  
  Little bit of both. Usually I start with sunxdcc and xdcc.eu, but if I can't find it, I search in the chats. Sometimes not all packs are listed and the search engines.
  
  1
https://xdcccatcher.net

Joins all of the active IRC bot channels. Catches and indexes all the bot announcements. Creates a fast searchable index of packs. Also works for packs found on sunxdcc.com

3

You've viewed 31 comments.