apr 25
Peer to Peer Topics
Peer to Peer Computer Network
All connected computers are both clients and servers to transfer bits of information, meaning that data can move more quickly than the traditional strict server to client model.
- Structured - centralized server (Advantage: easier to search)
- Unstructured - no centralized server managing transfers and information
Most commonly used for:
- file sharing (example: BitTorrent)
- telephony (example: Skype)
- media streaming (example: Joost)
- discussion forums (example: Usenet)
Usenet
"global, distributed Internet discussion system."
What have been your experiences with Usenet?
Legal Implications of Peer to Peer
P2P is often used to obtain files illegally, such as music and movies.
There are two basic arguments:
One argument is that piracy either does not affect sales or it may even stimulate them.
- "Internet music piracy not only doesn't hurt legitimate CD sales, it may even boost sales of some types of music."
- "The researchers believe that most downloading is done over peer-to-peer networks by teens and college kids, groups that are "money-poor but time-rich," meaning they wouldn't have bought the songs they downloaded. In that sense, the music industry can't claim those downloads as lost record sales. In fact, illegal downloading may help the industry slightly with..."samplers"—an older crowd who downloads a song or two and then, if they like what they hear, go out and buy the music."
The other argument is that illegal downloading hurts sales of music and movies, and that downloaders are stealing intellectual property from its creators.
- "In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conducts consumer, industry and technical research; and monitors and reviews state and federal laws, regulations and policies."
- "It’s commonly known as piracy, but it’s a too benign term that doesn’t even begin to adequately describe the toll that music theft takes on the many artists, songwriters, musicians, record label employees and others whose hard work and great talent make music possible."
BitTorrent
a common protocol on which many different peer-to-peer applications can run.
- To download files, find a .torrent file on the internet and open it with your bittorrent client.
- Common BitTorrent clients for Linux:
- Deluge
- Azureus
- Transmission
- ktorrent
- rtorrent
- Opera (web browser with bittorrent built-in)
Are there any more common ones for Linux? Which ones have you used on Linux? Comments on these?
Jim M
- Napster - centralized
- KaZaA - decentralized
- Gnutella - unstructure
Also
