{{Short description|Private BitTorrent tracker (2007–2016)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}} {{Infobox website | name = What.CD | logo = File:What cd.png | caption = A typical What.CD page | url = what.cd (defunct) | commercial = No | type = BitTorrent tracker | language = English | revenue = Voluntary donations | current_status = Defunct | dissolved = {{end date and age|2016|11|17}} | launch_date = {{start date and age|2007|10|27}} }} {{fsb}}
'''What.CD''' was a private, invitation-only music BitTorrent tracker and community launched in 2007.<ref name="whatinterviewprep" /><ref name="fc1"/> The site was shut down on 17 November 2016, after French authorities seized the site's servers.<ref name="zataz-whatcd-shutdown" /><ref name="torrentfreak-whatcd-shutdown" />
==History== What.CD was founded on the day of Oink's Pink Palace's closure in October 2007.<ref name="torrentfreak" /> In November 2007, many site users received a hoax email purporting to be from the Recording Industry Association of America threatening to press charges for illegal downloads.<ref name="tf2"/>
In 2008, the Canadian Recording Industry Association asked now-defunct Moxie Colo, then What.CD's host, to take down several tracker sites, including What.CD. The company refused, saying, "We will not be following the request and will be fighting for the rights of our clients as—to date—laws in Canada protect them."<ref name="crunchgear" /> In October, the site released "The What CD Volume 2", a compilation album of artists that contributed to the site. Earlier that year, the site released Volume One.<ref name="gear2" />
In December 2008, What.CD and Open Your Eyes Records formed a partnership in which the record label would exclusively distribute new releases on the tracker.<ref name="record label team up" /><ref name="td2" />
In 2010, CNET.com reported that a teenage boy had gained access to playMPE.com (MPE meaning Music Protection by Encryption), an industry website used by music labels to share music with radio stations, by posing as an Australian music critic. He subsequently uploaded a number of unreleased albums to What.CD.<ref name="cnet1" />
In September 2010, What.CD debuted a new lightweight tracker called "Ocelot". The lightweight tracker used only 3GB of RAM to power over five million peers.<ref name="ocelot" />
In December 2010, What.CD's collection reached one million torrents, a record for a private BitTorrent tracker.<ref name="1 million" />
Throughout early 2014, the site was subject to a severe and prolonged DDoS attack, causing intermittent tracker downtime and limiting many of the site's services.<ref name="ddos attacks" />
=== Shutdown ===
On 17 November 2016, French authorities seized 12 servers from the internet service provider OVH in the north of France.<ref name="zataz-whatcd-shutdown" /><ref name="theverge-whatcd-shutdown" /> Later, What.CD announced its closure on its index page and Twitter, saying, "Due to some recent events, What.CD is shutting down. We are not likely to return any time soon in our current form. All site and user data has been destroyed. So long, and thanks for all the fish," a reference to ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy''. The site's Twitter account later posted the tweet "Reports of our database being seized are not factual".<ref name="twitter database seizure" />
On 18 November 2016, What.CD issued a statement about its shutdown, stating that its users and staff were safe, thanking all contributors and recommending that donations go to Internet Archive, Electronic Frontier Foundation, La Quadrature du Net and Initiative für Netzfreiheit.<ref name="twitter goodbye" />
In October 2017, for What.CD's ten-year anniversary, former What.CD staff released a torrent containing the last backup of all non-user data from the site, saying that this message would "likely be the last".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/trackers/comments/7945de/whatcd_10year_anniversary_mixtape/|title=What.CD 10-year anniversary mixtape • r/trackers|website=reddit|date=27 October 2017|language=en|access-date=2017-10-28|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028120131/https://www.reddit.com/r/trackers/comments/7945de/whatcd_10year_anniversary_mixtape/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/whatcd/status/923941782253121539|title=10-year anniversary mixtape|last=What.CD|date=2017-10-27|website=@whatcd|language=en|access-date=2017-10-28|archive-date=28 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028075525/https://twitter.com/whatcd/status/923941782253121539|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/whatcd/status/923942203080273921|title=What.CD|last=What.CD|date=2017-10-27|website=@whatcd|language=en|access-date=2017-10-28|archive-date=6 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206223731/https://twitter.com/whatcd/status/923942203080273921|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Leaks== The Radiohead song "These Are My Twisted Words" was uploaded to the tracker on 12 August 2009. Fans speculated the song had been leaked by the band itself and contained hints to an upcoming EP entitled ''Wall of Ice''. The song was released on 17 August 2009, on the band's website, similar to their release of ''In Rainbows''.<ref name="guardian" /><ref name="pitchfork" />
In 2009, Microsoft's forensic tool, Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor (COFEE), was leaked on the site. Administrators later removed the software.<ref name="techdirt cofee" /> The What.CD staff said of the removal: "Suddenly, we were forced to take a real look at the program, its source, and the potential impact on the site and security of our users and staff. And when we did, we didn't like what came of it. So, a decision was made. The torrent was removed (and it is not to be uploaded here again)."<ref name="sfgate" />
On 28 November 2013, a What.CD user uploaded scans of three unpublished stories by American author J. D. Salinger.<ref name="torrentfreak-salinger" /><ref name="kennedy-salinger" /> Similar to the response to the COFEE upload, an administrator removed the torrent.<ref name="kennedy-salinger"/>
==References== {{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="cnet1">{{Cite web|last=Rosoff|first=Matt|title=Report: Music insider site source of leaked songs|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/report-music-insider-site-source-of-leaked-songs/|publisher=CNET|access-date=14 September 2010|archive-date=4 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140504071511/http://www.cnet.com/news/report-music-insider-site-source-of-leaked-songs/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="guardian" >{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/14/new-radiohead-song |title=Was the new Radiohead song leaked by the band? |author=Sean Michaels |date=14 August 2009 |work=The Guardian |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-date=5 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005073720/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/14/new-radiohead-song |url-status=live }}</ref> <ref name="pitchfork" >{{Cite news |url=http://pitchfork.com/news/36225-radiohead-rumor-mill-steaming-ahead-threatening-to-devour-entire-internet/ |title=Radiohead Rumor Mill Steaming Ahead, Threatening to Devour Entire Internet |work=Pitchfork Media |author=Ryan Dombal |date=14 August 2009 |access-date=21 August 2009 |archive-date=17 August 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817211409/http://pitchfork.com/news/36225-radiohead-rumor-mill-steaming-ahead-threatening-to-devour-entire-internet/ |url-status=live }}</ref> <ref name="tf2">{{Cite web|title=14 Year Old BitTorrent Hacker Threatens to Sue What.cd Users|url=http://torrentfreak.com/14-year-old-hacker-threatens-whatcd-071112/|publisher=Torrent Freak|access-date=14 September 2010|archive-date=12 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312063907/http://torrentfreak.com/14-year-old-hacker-threatens-whatcd-071112/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="torrentfreak">{{Cite web|last=Jones|first=Ben|title=What Waffles? The Hydra Lives On|url=http://torrentfreak.com/what-waffles-hydra-071030/|access-date=14 September 2010|archive-date=11 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311140317/http://torrentfreak.com/what-waffles-hydra-071030/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="fc1">{{Cite web|last=Nosowitz|first=Dan|title=Massive International BitTorrent Raid: Where Will We Download Mad Men Now?|url=http://www.fastcompany.com/1687487/14-country-police-force-stages-massive-anti-piracy-raid-where-will-we-download-mad-men-now|work=Fast Company|access-date=14 September 2010|date=7 September 2010|archive-date=11 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100911072559/http://www.fastcompany.com/1687487/14-country-police-force-stages-massive-anti-piracy-raid-where-will-we-download-mad-men-now|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="crunchgear">{{cite web|last=Deleon|first=Nicholas|title=What.cd, other BitTorrent trackers ordered shut by Canadian Recording Industry Association|url=http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/05/27/whatcd-other-bittorrent-trackers-ordered-shut-by-canadian-recording-industry-association/|publisher=Crunchgear|access-date=24 September 2010|archive-date=16 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216211748/http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/05/27/whatcd-other-bittorrent-trackers-ordered-shut-by-canadian-recording-industry-association/|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="gear2">{{cite web|last=Deleon|first=Nicholas|title=What.cd Volume 2: Showing the recording industry how to promote music in the BitTorrent era|url=http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/10/27/whatcd-volume-2-showing-the-recording-industry-how-to-promote-music-in-the-bittorrent-era/|publisher=Crunchgear|access-date=24 September 2010|archive-date=6 April 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406204250/http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/10/27/whatcd-volume-2-showing-the-recording-industry-how-to-promote-music-in-the-bittorrent-era/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="td2">{{cite web|title=A Record Label That Embraces BitTorrent|date=31 December 2008 |url=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20081230/1856543258.shtml|publisher=TechDirt|access-date=24 September 2010|archive-date=10 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410055230/http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20081230/1856543258.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name="whatinterviewprep">{{cite web|url=https://www.whatinterviewprep.com/prepare-for-the-interview/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826104836/https://www.whatinterviewprep.com/prepare-for-the-interview/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-08-26|title=What.CD Interview Preparation|publisher=whatinterviewprep.com}}</ref> <ref name="torrentfreak-whatcd-shutdown">{{cite web|last1=van der Sar|first1=Ernesto|title=What.cd Shuts Down Following Reported Raids in France|url=https://torrentfreak.com/what-cd-shuts-down-following-reported-raids-in-france-161117/|website=TorrentFreak|access-date=18 November 2016|ref=torrentfreak-whatcd-shutdown|archive-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117220646/https://torrentfreak.com/what-cd-shuts-down-following-reported-raids-in-france-161117/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="record label team up">{{Cite web|title=Record Label Teams Up With What.cd BitTorrent Tracker|url=http://torrentfreak.com/record-label-teams-up-with-whatcd-bittorrent-tracker-081230/|access-date=25 October 2011|archive-date=3 December 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111203170621/http://torrentfreak.com/record-label-teams-up-with-whatcd-bittorrent-tracker-081230/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="ocelot">{{Cite web|title=What.cd Debuts Lightweight Tracker For Its 5 Million Peers|url=http://torrentfreak.com/what-cd-debuts-lightweight-tracker-for-its-5-million-peers-101014/|publisher=TorrentFreak|access-date=26 October 2011|archive-date=20 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820232718/http://torrentfreak.com/what-cd-debuts-lightweight-tracker-for-its-5-million-peers-101014/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="1 million">{{Cite web|title=What.cd Reaches One Million Torrents|url=http://www.zeropaid.com/news/91702/what-cd-celebrates-million-torrents-milestone/|publisher=TorrentFreak|access-date=26 October 2011|archive-date=23 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623073830/http://www.zeropaid.com/news/91702/what-cd-celebrates-million-torrents-milestone/|url-status=dead}}</ref> <ref name="ddos attacks">{{cite web|last1=Ernesto|title=DDOS ATTACKS TAKE DOWN WHAT.CD, BTN AND PTP BITTORRENT TRACKERS|url=https://torrentfreak.com/ddos-attacks-take-down-what-cd-btn-and-ptp-bittorrent-trackers-140106/|website=Torrentfreak|access-date=13 January 2015|date=6 January 2014|archive-date=25 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225211917/http://torrentfreak.com/ddos-attacks-take-down-what-cd-btn-and-ptp-bittorrent-trackers-140106/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="zataz-whatcd-shutdown">{{cite news|last1=Bancal|first1=Damien|title=Opération What.CD : 12 serveurs saisis chez OVH et Free|url=http://www.zataz.com/operation-what-cd-12-serveurs-saisis-chez-ovh-free/|access-date=17 November 2016|work=ZATAZ|date=17 November 2016|language=fr|archive-date=17 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117210706/https://www.zataz.com/operation-what-cd-12-serveurs-saisis-chez-ovh-free/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="theverge-whatcd-shutdown">{{cite news|last1=Welch|first1=Chris|title=Music torrent site What.cd has been shut down|url=https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/17/13669832/what-cd-music-torrent-website-shut-down|access-date=17 November 2016|work=The Verge|date=17 November 2016|archive-date=18 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118020602/http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/17/13669832/what-cd-music-torrent-website-shut-down|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="torrentfreak-salinger">{{Cite web|title=Unpublished Salinger Books Leaked to Private File-Sharing Site|url=http://torrentfreak.com/unpublished-salinger-books-leaked-to-private-file-sharing-site-131128/|publisher=TorrentFreak|access-date=28 November 2013|archive-date=28 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131128200036/http://torrentfreak.com/unpublished-salinger-books-leaked-to-private-file-sharing-site-131128/|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="kennedy-salinger">{{cite news|last1=Kennedy|first1=Maev|title=JD Salinger's unpublished stories leaked online|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/28/salinger-unpublished-stories-leaked-online|access-date=13 January 2015|date=23 December 2013|archive-date=13 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150113204837/http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/nov/28/salinger-unpublished-stories-leaked-online|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="techdirt cofee">{{Cite web|title=Microsoft's COFEE Computer Forensic Tools Leaked|date=9 November 2009 |url=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091108/0808216846.shtml|publisher=TechDirt|access-date=14 September 2010|archive-date=31 December 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231011944/http://techdirt.com/articles/20091108/0808216846.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> <ref name="sfgate">{{Cite web|last=Benjamen|first=Yobie|title=Microsoft's COFEE spilled on the Internet by Torrent pirates|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ybenjamin/detail?entry_id=51360|work=San Francisco Chronicle|access-date=14 September 2010|archive-date=15 September 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100915052307/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ybenjamin/detail?entry_id=51360|url-status=dead}}</ref>
<ref name="twitter database seizure">{{cite tweet |user=whatcd |number=799435387634614272 |date=17 November 2016 |title=Reports of our database being seized are not factual.}}</ref>
<ref name="twitter goodbye">{{Cite tweet|user=whatcd |number=799751019294965760 |title=Goodbye <3 [...] |date=18 November 2016 |access-date=19 November 2016}}</ref> }}
== External links == * {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118123434/https://what.cd/ |date=18 November 2016 |title=Archive of website}} * ''[https://qz.com/840661/what-cd-is-gone-a-eulogy-for-the-greatest-music-collection-in-the-world/ A eulogy for What.cd, the greatest music collection in the history of the world—until it vanished]'', Nikhil Sonnad, 18 November 2016, Quartz.
{{Bittorrent}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:What.CD}} Category:Canadian music websites Category:Defunct BitTorrent websites Category:Internet properties established in 2007 Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2016