P2P Networking

Peer to peer networks in recent years have become more popular. I have used P2P programs to download music from Limewire. The unlimited access to free music is a great invention. However, there are risks that come along with the use of peer to peer networks. Someone will upload their music to the network and share it with anyone who accesses it. This will cause problems because there is an unstated etiquette to what people are posting on the web. The song that is uploaded to the system may contain files that could harm your computer and make it slow. Personally, I notice that Limewire does slow down my computer, just because of all the things I have downloaded and I’m sure at some point spy ware and ads have been downloaded to my laptop. I go through precautions however and try to scan my computer as much as I can, because I just can’t bring myself to deleting Limewire because it allows me to listen to any song for free.

There are legal issues however. Many music industries feel free downloads of music hurts their industry. However, the other side to that opinion is that people use P2P networks to download songs to sample them and go out and buy the CD. Even though music downloads have gone up, according to Harvard Business School’s website music sales have gone up too. Not all uses of P2P networks are legal. Most music downloads are illegal because they infringe on copy write laws. According to the UD websites, they ask students not to use such programs. They tell the students to be responsible and delete all programs such as Limewire and Kazaa which are used to download pictures, music, movies and programs. Even though they say that downloading music infringes on copy write laws I don’t think it should. I don’t think the government will ever be able to stop people from downloading from these networks. It is just too convenient and cost effective. I think the music industry should release more free music on their own personal websites and lower their costs to counteract the demand for free illegal downloads.