O/T How do I download from the Internet

There are various ways you can download from the internet...

Firstly, directly from a website. This is the most obvious way to get files. Poker software, for example, uses this method. You click the link on the website and voila, the software downloads. For obvious reasons, if you are wanting to share anything which has a question over its legality, this is not the best way to go about it.

The next method, is FTP, or File Transfer Protocol. A person hosts a server, similar to a webserver, that exists purely to serve files. One would have a username and password (if required) and access can be granted to file areas on a per account basis. Links to FTP sites can also be placed into websites to provide a seemless interface. The beauty of FTP is that it can be easily hidden, should you be hosting files of questionable legality. However, the downside to FTP is that, those hidden servers cannot be found unless you have a friend of a friend who knows someone who has a server and will be willing to give a complete stranger enough trust for him to access said files.

That leaves us with no options left.... until the advent of peer to peer networks, that is. Napster took the idea of FTP (actually, FXP, which is transfer from one server to another server being controlled by a third, client, machine) and evolved it. The files would not be held centrally, but would exist on every client machine. The central server would provide access to these machines, and allow other clients to search all available files. Unfortunately, due to the fact that a central server is being used, the courts tried and eventually successded in closing napster down.

But, like pheonix from the ashes, P2P was not dead, simply undergoing metomorphisis. Get rid of the central element, and they can't stop us, right!? Limewire, gnutella, kazaa and their ilk are software packages created to provide the search function of napster, with a difference. Client machines on the network now perform the function of that previously central to the napster network. The network effectively sustains itself and there is no area that can be targetted by government agencies other than dealing with individual pirates...

Additionally, the p2p network itself is not illegal, and therefore, the courts where on questionable grounds when they closed napster down. It was argued that they where facilitating the piracy of music and did not do anything to stop it.

The drawback to kazaa and limewire, is that unless you pay sums of money, your machine will become a nesting ground for the latest viruses, spywares and trojans that come pre-installed for your convienence by the software makers. Not to mention the large amount of files that are themselves infected on the kazaa/limewire networks.

So, along came BitTorrent, the first truly non centralised and virus safe P2P network. With this network, a calculation is performed on the file(s) being provided for download. This hash value is used to ensure the ingrity of the file(s) being downloaded.... the drawback with bittorrent is that the file that contains this data needs to be hosted on a website in order to be searchable. Which, leads the court back to the napster arguement.

Eventually, the bittorrent network will evolve to include its own searchable facilities. As long as totally legal uses for such technology exists, the courts and illegal agencies such as the RIAA or wahtever its called will be powerless to stop it. Although they will try.

here ends the history lesson!