Torrents

Well, obviously it would depend on a lot of things, most particularly how it was presented in the media, but all it takes is for one relatively known media source to make a big stink about how Disney paid some "hackers" to bring down websites via illegal means, and you've got the beginnings of a PR nightmare. Sure, it might not happen that way, and it might garner sympathy for Disney instead, but if you've got a nice cushy job at Disney, do you want to take that risk?

Who knows what the fickle public will latch onto, so why even open yourself up to something like that? Even if they blocked IPT for a week straight, the effect on Disney's bottom line would be negligible, whereas the potential PR repercussions are unknown.

Are you positive that PG was the problem? My BTN tracker has been up and down repeatedly. Last night was the first time it seemed even remotely reliable in over a week.

As for PG itself, I used to use it for awhile, but I don't know if it made any difference. Normally I would say it can't hurt, but if you're certain that it is causing problems with BTN, then maybe not.

I found it to be a pain in the ass towards the end also, so perhaps now is a good time to consider a VPN. I know you said you aren't looking for one now, and obviously it makes no difference to me if you do or not, but I'll pass along the info for mine just in case you or someone else is interested.

I use Private Internet Access, and it is $40 a year (or was when I bought it anyway). I chose them because they specifically keep no logs of any activity, which is exactly what you want if you torrent or use newsgroups. In theory a service like VyperVPN (the one you can get with a Giganews Diamond plan) keeps logs of everything you do, so if someone cared enough they could get all of your traffic logs and nail you just the same as if you downloaded everything straight to your home computer without the VPN. With no logs, however, there is nothing to tie you to anything specific, not even download times, file sizes, anything. They are one of the most highly rated in that regard.

It gives you up to 3 devices, so I have the information in my phone as well for times when I'm using a public wifi. All I have to do is turn on the VPN and bam, I'm secure. On the computer end of things, it has a bunch of different servers, and no matter which one I choose I always get my maximum bandwidth with it (and sometimes a little more, which makes no sense).

It can cause issues with things like making a credit card purchase from an IP in Japan, for example, but it is a simple right click then left click to turn it on and off. It really is idiot-proof. If you are concerned about anonymity, I'd say take the plunge. If you aren't really that worried and have never gotten any warning letters or anything, you're probably fine without it. But the per month charge is pretty low, so it might be worth considering.