@bucknaked I was interested on this topic and thought about it recently. Your comment was very informative and i never conisidered that a paid way into tracker would negate its proof no matter how many TB seeded...Its an odd one though as many trackers still have open sign-up so wonder if that also has an impact on it perceived relevance when using as a proof? I suppose as long as money doesnt change hands then its ok...

What i would like to establish are the best low level trackers to use as proofs as you climb the ladder towards your desired or dream sites. I made the mistake of buffering IPT as well when starting out and immediately moved over to TorrentLeech when i discovered the problem. So anyway, my feeling is that these three trackers would be a good place to start and work your way up. These include:

Torrentleech, Myanonamouse & Orpheus

In my mind its not just about a tracker proof, but also how challenging it was to make that proof. I think if someone was motivated it would be realtively easy to create a point system for value where factors such as overall difficulty is measured (ratio, uploads, bonus points, forum activity,etc). Also the more variety of trackers you have for display the better chances of succeeding.

So having three general trackers is ok for proof but i think its better to have a mix of general and more unique and specialised content like music, anime, learning, etc. This is not essential but i think an OPS proof have more value as basic power user than say TL and 1TB of buffer. Maybe this is up for debate but not all trackers are made equal and require more time and care...

Somtimes a mid level tracker has open sign-up like Blutopia did and that is where you MUST jump on those oppotunities for not only useful content but a future Proof! Even you if you miss out on those, stick to the recommendations outlined earlier and see them as good investment for the future.

TL, MAM & OPS are only English based trackers but they might be Spanish,French, Albanian low level trackers that are equivalent in rank when it comes to early proofs. Peraps someone could mention those if there is more interest on this general subject...Other than must stay motivated and do your research. Try not to think about it too much and enjoy the experiences along the way. Even if you dont get what you want, the knowledge and skills achieved is still valuable and should not under estimated!