P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the act of sharing digital information across the internet or a network. At one time people used floppy discs or usb drives in order to share files such as music and photos. Now people have the ability to simply do this by downloading a program or software to share with others. Some computers have this built in capability to make it simpler for people. This is incredibly popular with people who do not want to pay for music when they can simply download it over the internet. Peer to Peer file sharing is the same as file sharing but instead of going through a server one is connected directly to the host computer who has the file. If one wants to download or share small files P2P is the best option. An example of P2P file sharing is Limewire. This was something I was once very familiar with and I know plenty of people who remember this as “free iTunes.” One did not have to worry about paying when they can simply download it from Limewire. The problem was it was not only illegal and shutdown it was also flooded with viruses. I remember at one time my dad had to wipe out my computer because of a trojan virus. I eventually learned from that point that things that seem to be free are never truly free. Although not all of the files were corrupted on Limewire you could never truly tell which ones were safe or not. Although you need to be careful P2P file sharing should not be completely feared. A group people made a documentary called “Steal this Film” they said regarding P2P file sharing, “While the film did also appear on YouTube, Google Video, Revver and Stage6, the vast majority of our viewers also contributed their own bandwidth and computing power to help deliver Steal This Film to others” (NMA Staff).  They continue in the article stating how people worry too much about making revenue when they can focus on getting the word out then worrying about revenue after. The particular file sharing software they were going to use was accessed by millions of people daily and all it takes is a few people to spread it before it goes viral. it is a great idea that should be used by others when trying to market their own product.