File-Sharing Basics

Introduction

The term "file-sharing" covers a number of technologies, including various software applications, protocols and concepts. The software that started it all, Napster, is now a pay music service and has nothing to do with file-sharing.

So what's the big deal?

One of the biggest hurdles with digital media is the sheer size of the files. A full movie can easily take up over a GB (Gigabyte) of space, even when highly compressed. Not only would it take you all day to download that big a even using a high-speed connection, most web sites would quickly reach their full capacity with only a handful of users.

Filesharing fixes the problem by having you download files not from a central web server, but from a number of other people who have already downloaded the file (or are in the process of downloading it), and are now "sharing" it. And at the same time you're downloading the file, you're sharing it with (in other words, sending it to) other people who want to download that file.

Why do I need extra software?

File-sharing is usually either a client-server type of application (in which you run "client" software, and it communicates with "server" software somewhere), or a P2P (Peer to Peer, which generally means you're downloading from another person, rather than a central server) system which has only client software. File-sharing client software does not come with your computer, and because of the legal issues around file-sharing, it is unlikely that you will be able to go into your local computer superstore and buy it.

So where do I get it?

That depends on what file-sharing system you want to use, and there are many. There are also many file-sharing clients that you should not use, for reasons that I'm about to tell you.

Many file-sharing networks are made with the full knowledge that they will be used for illegal trading of movies, music and software. The people that build these networks are not evil, but they do want to make money. And so typically, their clients will include some rather nefarious advertising software, otherwise known as adware or spyware, which monitors what web sites you visit and displays ads based on those sites.

See our File-Sharing Software page for some of the more popular file-sharing clients.

Watch out for this...

One of the problems of not using an "official" (meaning one not endorsed by the movie or music production companies) download site, is the potential for misuse by those with malicious intent. Be very careful when using any web sites or file-sharing systems that you don't download files that end with .exe, .scr, .pif, or .bat. Such a file is more than likely a virus. Run a virus-checker, and keep it up-to-date.

And watch out for THIS...

Be a responsible parent, and keep watch over what your kids are doing on your computer. File-sharing systems have no age-verification of any sort and are rife with free porn, and it's not always the good kind. So I hear, according to my friend.

Anything we're missing? Let us know.

Talk about this topic in the discussion forums.