P2P

File sharing is the transfer or sharing of files by one or more users. File sharing is done on computer networks as an easy and quick way to transmit data. For example, a user may share a document on their computer that is connected to the same network allowing all other users on that network to access the document. P2P file sharing is the also known as peer to peer file sharing is the sharing of digital content like electronic books, multimedia, music, movies, video clips through a network that supports peer to peer platforms. An example of a peer to peer file sharing application would be BitTorrent, which is a file sharing platform that has grew quite popular over the last decade. According to the article “The BitTorrent Effect” by Clive Thompson, “Bram Cohen is the creator of BitTorrent, one of the most successful peer-to-peer programs ever. BitTorrent lets users quickly upload and download enormous amounts of data, files that are hundreds or thousands of times bigger than a single MP3.” As you can see, on this platform you could literally find and download almost anything due to the P2P sharing of contents, all at no cost, but it is usually risky and unethical. Due to a lot of illegal traffic and usage, the Motion Pictures Association of America started a clampdown and suing downloaders of movies, according to the article. Thompson also states in the article, “You could think of BitTorrent as Napster redux – another rumble in the endless copyright wars. But BitTorrent is something deeper and more subtle. It's a technology that is changing the landscape of broadcast media.” This shows that although it has a lot of unethical issue with the platform, it is also creating and changing the sharing of data on the internet.