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Perhaps the most controversial and intriguing thing on the Internet today is the idea of file sharing. File sharing programs are attracting millions of Internet users and are becoming more and more popular. These are programs that allow users to share the files on their computers whether it is music, movies, pornography, images, software, and documents. Anything can be downloaded free of charge if you have the right equipment and the right set of mind. The first of these programs was Napster, a music sharing utility where users can connect to each other and download songs from each other. It was the first successful file sharing program and it became very popular with millions of users logging on each day and downloading huge amounts of music. Due to that success the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) filed a lawsuit against Napster and almost shut it down on basis of copyright infringement. New programs came up recently that allow not only music to be shared but also full-length movies and many other files. These programs have become very popular and a special effort has been made to ensure they are not shut down by setting their servers overseas, where American copyright laws don’t apply. In order to be able to share files you need a computer an Internet connection and a lot of free time. There are several programs that allow people to share files the most popular being Morpheus and Swapnut. These programs have searches that can come up with many different types of files and media. With that you are ready to start downloading entire collections of songs from you favorite artists or download you favorite old movies and watch box office movies that have yet to be released. So far file-sharing sound like the answer to all your entertainment needs right? But if you plan to experiment with file sharing there some things you need to know. The RIAA and the MPAA say that all these albums and movies people are sharing are copyrighted so that makes it illegal to copy a song or movie without the prior consent of the creators. So where does that leave you? Right where you were. The fact is having a song or movie on your PC isn’t illegal…yet… However SHARING those files IS. So no matter how you look at it, it is technically breaking the law. I say “technically” because there are practically no legal consequences that can come from downloading files. The United States does not have the resources to go into every home and prosecute millions of people who are sharing files everyday; the authorities have better things to do…I hope… So the deterrent from sharing files isn’t really a legal one but it’s your conscience. Can you live with yourself if you download a record without paying for it? Or watch a movie without going to the theatre and shelling out your hard-earned cash just to find out its not worth it? If you can then file sharing is definitely for you. However if you can’t download a file without feeling an enormous amount of guilt and remorse then just think of an excuse to make it viable. I personally think I’m sampling the songs or movie before I pay for it so it saves me a lot of disappointment. Whatever it takes to alleviate the guilt… healthy denial… Other thing you need to know are that you need a fast connection to download the movies which are big in size and could take days if you don’t have the right speed for it. The biggest issue with file sharing, however, is safety. You can very easily download a virus onto your PC from unsafe sources and sometimes the results can be disastrous for the data on your computer. You can avoid these safety hazards by not opening any files before checking them with anti-virus software and not let anybody use the file sharing application without your guidance. You should always know what you are downloading. These file sharing application have search capabilities for objectionable material and porn is very pervasive on all the programs. So its not one for the kids then… Despite these shortcomings, file sharing is very popular right now and is getting a lot of attention from people all over the world. It’s and interesting way to get information, entertainment and basically any file you can think of. With more and more people logging on every day, it can only get bigger and harder to control. So if you plan on hearing good music and seeing movies in the comfort of your own home, be conscious be safe and happy sharing. Bibliography: no bibli Word Count: 850
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