About: File-sharing software and P2P Networks

File-sharing programs. A variety of file-sharing programs is available on several different networks. Availability depends partly on operating system, and different networks have different features (for example, multiple-source downloads, different sorts of search limiting, and so on). It is common for commercial file sharing clients to contain abrasive advertising software, or spyware.

File-sharing dynamics There are several major topics surrounding file sharing. Of them, the two primary dynamics are the benefits and drawbacks of Centralization vs Decentralization and Privacy / Anonymity, especially vs copyright protection and file-sharing legality. As well as the problem of spyware, a method for the companies that produce peer-to-peer programs to make money on their product. It is these pulls which have defined several themes of software. In the early days, client software was protocol-specific, so you had "Napster" clients, and you had "Gnutella" clients. There is an everpresent push towards making the GUI-side of things capable of using multiple protocols. After all, why should a user have to load up several different applications to do what is, in their mind, the same thing? In cases where there is perceived value in collecting, some people will have lots to share and will find themselves surrounded by eager people. This can cause problems when the collector cannot keep up with demand. Decentralization is one means to alleviate this problem, especially in cases where it is possible to ensure that multiple copies of a popular item are available from multiple sources (even simultaneously, as with multi-source downloading). Concepts like hoarding come about where the one centralized person will collect and will not later freely give away what was given. Barter and ratio systems evolve in order to reduce the impact of hoarding. Under these systems, a person will only share when they can expect to get something in return.

Privacy issus The concept of being tagged and tracked is one which has been a reality for some time. Personally identifiable information is legally associated with a person's actions in order to verify their identity. Think credit cards: these have to be associated with the purchaser, otherwise the credit card couldn't send a bill for those purchases. This concept has also entered into the computer world, and many people are fearful of advertisers tracking their virtual "movements". While advertisers claim that this is to target more applicable or interesting ads, many people argue that they never want to see another ad again, and certainly don't want to be tracked without explicit permission. This desire for anonymity has spilled into file sharing such that some clients have encryption and obfuscation functionality to protect their users. Concepts such as decentralization and trust have also been used as a means of hiding the identity of users.