COMPUTER GENIUS
What is “P2P” or Peer-to-Peer? If you’re not familiar with the term or have never used it, here is a quick description. Peer-to Peer file sharing is the method used to share illegally copied movies or music over the internet. What you do is download and install a program from a site such as Kazaa, Limewire or Morpheus. Once it’s installed you do a search for the song or movie you’re looking for. However when you find the item you are looking for it is not on a website, it is on someone else’s computer and here is where the problem starts. First off, many of these P2P file sharing programs contain spyware. It’s bad enough to find your computer has become infected, but why do it on purpose? The second problem is, if the computer you’re transferring the file from is infected, you have just moved it to your computer. And third it’s not called Peer-to-Peer file sharing for nothing, in order for you to download from others, your computer is set up to allow them to download from yours by default.
Have you ever heard of bandwidth? In computer networks, bandwidth is often used as a synonym for data transfer rate. The amount of data that can be carried from one point to another in a given time period. Let’s say that you set up your account and scout out the internet for the latest hit song, you find it on someone’s computer and download it to yours. You have not paid for the song, you have only paid for the software to share it. OK, so now you have it and are happily singing along with it. You have now opened your computer to millions of others looking for music or movies or whatever. This can become a serious issue not only for your bandwidth, but it’s probably not the best strategy for keeping your computer secure.
And security is still the biggest issue when it comes to computers and the internet. There are enough problems with hackers, and infected websites to create concern to the average user. Why would someone open their computer to the internet and allow it to be searched by strangers? Bottom line… if you or someone has installed P2P file sharing on your computer I recommend you uninstall it, run a good virus and spyware program, and buy your music from a non-Peer-to-Peer website. And as always if you have any questions or comments send them to ask@computer-genius.com.
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