P2P File Sharing

File sharing is the transfer of data (in the form of files) from one computer to a different computer via a network,such as the Internet. File sharing can involve just about any type of file, from mp3 files of songs, to movies, documents and programs. P2P File sharing (short for peer to peer) is slightly different from ordinary file sharing; both computers transfer data/files through a network, but both computers contribute to the transfer. Since the introduction of torrents, all the computers involved in a single file share acquire different small parts of a whole file through the Internet and then share their files with the other computers until each computer has the entire file. Prior to torrenting software, one computer would host a file for other computers to download. The problem with this method of file sharing was the disparity in upload/download speeds- hosts (aka seeders) couldn't upload their files as fast as the downloaders (leechers) could download the file.

Although it is illegal and subject to punishment by the government, "pirating" movies, music and applications is an example of P2P file sharing. By using the file sharing services provided by Torrents, the Pirate Bay and others, people can acquire copyrighted files thanks to the efforts of "oneline pirates" who upload these files. According to Eric Pfanner, piracy "accounts for the loss of $20 billion a year in sales" in the American entertainment industry. Unfortunately for the entertainment industries, pirated movies and music provides convenient access to popular files at little to no cost for the average user.

Non-punishable examples of P2P file sharing include the transfer of non-copyrighted or user-made files via sites such as RapidShare and BitTorrent. It is my personal opinion that most P2P file sharing involves pirated/illegally obtained materials, but there are many other uses for P2P file sharing technologies that aren't often mentioned by the mass media.

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/technology/internet/13iht-piracy13.html

The Next New Thing

Someday in the future, an all in one virtual reality platform will be created that simultaneously incorporates file sharing, social networking and online gaming. When I think of virtual reality, I think of Spore, The Sims and SecondLife; games that mimic life, but limit the ways you can participate with the online community. I hope a conglomerate new media technology is created to enable communication and interaction in ways that aren't developed now. Although there's a lot of risk in making an all in one virtual reality, I think it would be neat to be able to do things that need separate apps (now) in one program. I remember watching a Simpsons episode where they showed something similar to what I have in mind- an almost limitless, interactive virtual reality.


If anyone's interested in reading the episode synopsis, I attached a link below:
The Simpsons- Holidays of Future Passed

Privacy and Confidentiality

With the rise in popularity of social networking technology (a facet of new media), people are sharing more and more information about themselves through the Internet. Even though users of popular websites such as Facebook and Twitter have the option to toggle privacy settings to restrict who views their profile and posts, the privacy settings put in place on those sites are neither clear or easy to understand ("legalese"). Because of the rise of cyber-crime and piracy, even dealing with other less obvious new media technologies such as P2P filesharing can be subject to scrutiny by the government, making confidentiality seem like a thing of the past.Taking this into consideration, the best way for the average person to avoid giving up information that they would not like publicly shared is to  a) not engage in controversial or sketchy  and b) avoid mentioning it on social media.

From the other perspective, private and confidential information recovered by third parties or large corporations often get used for a variety of non-beneficial tasks. By using third party companies with tracking software, corporations often use users' browsing history and entries made on new media platforms to tailor advertisements on the websites that they view. Other than corporations and interested third parties, nefarious individuals use information listed on new media technologies for nefarious purposes. With access to a person's name and other information publically or stored on a social networking site's server, a hacker can use the data to wreak havoc to a person. Possible threats range from defamation, cyberstalking and even identity theft.

As sad as it seems, privacy and confidentiality are routinely breached by staying connected and  participating in social media. In order for us to stay in touch with our friends, colleagues, and even businesses, we must willingly release information to people who we might not know are even involved.