Just as the name
implies, mp3 file sharing is the sharing of
any type of computer file through
the internet at no cost to the
person on the receiving end.
There may in fact be no cost to
the person offering the file
because they received it from
someone else. To a song writer or
musician this is a disheartening
thought. More on that in a
moment, but first a brief
explanation of the technology.
To file
share is to be part of a
network of computers connected
through the internet. A file sharing program facilitates
this connection by allowing
people from around the world to
access each other's computer.
Usually is it a single folder on
a users computer containing music
in the form of Mp3's. The user
installs the program and searches
for a particular piece of music.
If it's a popular song, there
will be hundred's of copies of
this song available for download
rom various computers on the file
sharing network... unlike legal music
downloading.
While the technology
of file sharing has been used to
share many different types of
files, the term has become
equated with the sharing of mp3 music downloads because this is the
most common use of the
technology. It's also the most
prominent in the media because
record companies are now suing
individuals who share music with
other users on a file sharing
network.
This brings us to
the comment about song writers
and musicians disheartening view
of file sharing. Further
elaboration on this subject will
also answer the question of why I
feel file sharing is ethically
and morally wrong... and not just
because it is becoming illegal in
more and more countries. To
continue, read our article on
"Why File Sharing is
Illegal".
Click
here
for the top legal
mp3 downloads.
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