| 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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