The History of Peer-to-Peer File Sharing
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing is one of the most popular uses of the Internet. Despite shaky legal footing and attempts by the entertainment industry to curtail its use, P2P file sharing has grown in popularity since its creation in the 1990s. It's estimated that up to 60 percent of the Internet's bandwidth is taken up by P2P file sharing.
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Origins
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The first P2P file sharing system was designed and implemented by Shawn Fanning. His program, Napster, was the P2P standard for years until it was shut down for copyright infringement.
Types
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P2P networks operate based on their type. The most popular is Gnutella, which has been in operation since 2001. Millions of users share their file libraries via the Gnutella network.
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Legal Issues
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Many music and film industry representatives have been trying to shut down P2P file sharing networks since they were introduced in the 1990s. To date (2009), Napster is the largest network that has been shut down by industry executives.
Technology
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The original P2P network, Napster, used a central server to index files on users' hard drives. Gnutella works by decentralizing the indexing system. Users enter their query, and Gnutella sends the request to several other computers, each of which repeats the request. Once the file is found, it's downloaded directly from one user's computer to the one making the request.
Usage
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P2P file sharing networks are used for more than sharing music, videos and software programs. Some large companies use modified P2P networks to facilitate file sharing among different users across the globe.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Network Magazine India
