File Sharing
File sharing is the ability to transmit or “share” files from one computer to another over the Internet. Such files may include computer programs, music, videos, images, documents, or books. One type of file sharing is peer-to-peer file sharing. In P2P file sharing users can use software to search for shared files on the computers of other users and download their chosen files directly from other users on the network. P2P allows users to download music and movies. Another type of file sharing is an alternative to peer-to-peer software and is called file hosting services. These services are sites that host links to downloads of files. An example of a current file hosting service is MediaFire. This site is most commonly known for the users ability to to search for song titles and download them from the links the site provides. However, it's important to realize that file hosting services do not actively monitor the content being transferred by users. So, although the site itself is legal, the files (or music) being uploaded on the site may not be.
History
The history of file sharing can date back to 1971 when the 8 inch floppy diskette invented by IBM [1]. It rapidly won its acceptance as a useful data storage medium. Floppy disks allowed users to transfer files from one drive to another drive.
