P2P

File sharing is the distribution of content over an internet source. Examples include posting a picture online without restricting share access or emailing attachments to other people. I think the main difference between file sharing and P2P file sharing is the online/offline status. P2P file sharing requires a connected network but not an internet source. P2P uses a software network instead. 

In the workplace, I have experienced both regular file sharing and P2P file sharing. Firstly, regular file sharing is seen in applications such as an online SharePoint. It holds the same idea as mentioned by Eric Pfanner in “Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web Access?”, which is how “pirates are also turning to file hosting services like RapidShare, which allow users to upload files too big to e-mail. Others can then download them from RapidShare.” SharePoint is a similar concept where the user uploads files that they are working on or have finished and other users can download, view, or continue to edit the documents. However, this requires an internet source. 

A form of P2P file sharing that we see much more prominently is in our app stores and in the games we play. When playing games that require community building or games that give access to users to go visit the property of other users, it requires P2P sharing since users have to first download an app to get access. Some other examples include apps like qBittorrent, Vuze, uTorrent, and Tribler. 

At my internship, I actually rely on P2P file sharing more than regular file sharing. There is a large drive that is shared with everyone will all the documents from past years to the present. I never noticed that it was a form of P2P file sharing until the pandemic hit and we were shifting online. At that point, I realized that I was unable to access the documents from home because they were not online. This, indeed, makes the files more secure since there is no way to access it from outside. Due to this, I had to wait for a company programmed computer before I could continue my internship since the computer in the office was stationary. Continuing on the drive that we used, management had a different drive that were connected to ours. For example, we used the “G Drive” while management used the “N Drive.” I was surprised when management shared file paths, and it brought us to the same file as long as we changed “N” to “G.” The biggest difference here, in comparison to regular file sharing, is that it is offline and most likely more secure. 

Work Cited: 

1. Should Online Scofflaws Be Denied Web Access?" by ERIC PFANNER, The New York Times, April 13, 2009, p. B4. Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/technology/internet/13iht-piracy13.html