Blog: P2P

P2P is an acronym for peer-to-peer and it is a way of sharing files within a network of computers that share a similar network without the need of a central server. P2P programs like BitTorrent allows users to upload or receive and share large amount of data or files instantly and simultaneously. With the capability of sharing massive amount of data within a practically private network, it poses a threat to online privacy and can be difficult to stop because once it has been shared, it may be accessed somewhere else. In the article "The BitTorrent Effect" by Clive Thompson, BitTorrent is one of the most successful P2P programs and accounts for more than 1/3 of the data being shared through the net. Creator Bram Cohen had a vision for BitTorrent as a program that allowed computer programmers to share software but it has become a network for illegal trafficking of music and movies. This eventually leads to question of how can we really control the content that flows through the internet without infringing peoples right. Can we trust people to act ethically?