Hotline, even with its infrequent updates has become quite popular over the years, however most of the users on it still have no idea what the proper etiquette is while using it. This guide will give you some suggestions and tips on using Hotline.

This guide assumes you are familiar with the Hotline Client application!
Or at least the basics of it.

Client Recommendations

I am a firm believer in using the original Hotline Client from Hotline Communications (now HotSprings), Hotline Client 1.9.2 (newest as of this writing) has many features without the horrid leeching and admin-avoiding crap of most third-party clients. 1.9.x added support for using both the flat and multi-threaded news system at the same time on one server, and a few bug fixes. Although I would like to see some new stuff in it, overall it is still the best client.

While I am talking about Hotline Client 1.9.x, I should take some time to talk about the rumors that have been going around surrounding Spyware, tracked downloads, etc.

The stuff about Hotline Client installing software that tracks web site usage and ad delivery software isn?Äôt exactly true, but it?Äôs not exactly false, either. The PC version of Hotline Client installs Cydoor, HotSprings maintains that it is simply used to send ads to the Client and that?Äôs true. However, Cydoor does cause random pop-ups and other iffy behavior, so I don?Äôt trust it, but for the most part it?Äôs harmless. You can?Äôt however, remove Cydoor client without Hotline Client ceasing to function and that really bothers me.

The Macintosh version does NOT install anything remotely like that, it instead simply contacts an http-based web server and loads banner images. You can bock the ad server with a firewall if you really hate them. (At the moment, Hotline Client for Macintosh doesn?Äôt have ads; they?Äôre in talks with an ad supplier, so right now it tries to contact a non-existent server.)

As for the rumor about Hotline Contacting a ?Äúgovernment-run?Äù server and sending a list of all your downloaded files and a few days later you?Äôd get an email from Hotline Communications explaining your activities, well, that?Äôs just total fiction. This isn?Äôt a new rumor by the way, people were saying Hotline Client 1.8.x did the same thing even with Hotline Communications was out of business. Excuse me, but how can a company that didn?Äôt exist at the time be sending people email? It doesn?Äôt make sense! People never seemed to look at things logically before posting in forums about it tracking downloads.

And with that little rant, I close with...

Hotline Client does NOT track downloads; install Spyware on your Mac; cause radical hair loss; or order porn using your credit card. The PC version does install Cydoor, and that?Äôs more or less Spyware. Note: There is a fake Cydoor client that you can install that will trick Hotline Client into thinking you have it installed, but it will not show any ads. Look for it on Google.

Other Clients

There are numerous third-party Hotline Clients such as Pitbull, Frogblast, and Zombie just to name a few. However, most of these clients are based on Hotline Client 1.2.3 and therefore are lacking many useful features. Pitbull does get a fair amount of updates, however, most servers disallow use of it due to its various admin-avoiding ?Äúfeatures?Äù. Such as random name and icon changing, and auto-downloading. I personally ban every single Pitbull user I see, having a client with auto-downloading gives a person an unfair advantage over someone using a normal client, furthermore they tend to give people the impression that the Hotline community is a peer-to-peer network where you connect to some random server and leech as much as you can overnight knowing your client will constantly reconnect to a server and download your file without uploading or communication with administrators. Every Hotline user should give and take to help Hotline grow ?ɬê but more on that later.

Hotline Server Types

Here I will quickly describe the few basic types of Hotline servers.

Guest On:

The most common server is one with guest downloads on. Most request that everyone upload at the same time as they?Äôre downloading.

Upload to Download:

Upload to download servers have guest accounts, however, downloading is turned off. In order to download a file generally you upload a request then email the administrator to get your own login and password.

Banner Servers:

Originally, banner servers would have guest downloads off and ask you to go to a link (usually a porn site) and sign up for something, then copy two words from the page after signing up those would be the login and password to download. These days banner servers are almost non-existent and have been replaced with PayPal servers.