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With so many different client programs available to tap into the same file sharing networks, each client program may offer different features to entice people to use their program instead. Some client programs claim faster searching and downloading. Others include a built-in media player, so you can play your downloaded files immediately without having to load a separate media player, such as iTunes or Windows Media Player.
Other client programs offer parental controls to limit your kids from searching for specific words (and finding certain types of files to download, such as pornography), file shredders to destroy all traces of a downloaded file after you delete it (to prevent the authorities from examining your hard disk to see what copyrighted files you might have copied in the past), and proxy server access, so you can connect to a file sharing network through another computer (called a proxy) to help mask your IP address.
Some other popular features to look for in a client program include the absence of adware and spyware, the ability to access multiple file sharing networks, and anonymity while you are connected to a file sharing network.
Creators of file sharing networks have a dilemma. On the one hand, they want to give their client programs away for free to encourage as many people as possible to use it and join. On the other hand, they also need to find a way to make a profit. So to compensate for giving away software for free, many companies create client programs that include adware, also known by the more insidious name spyware.
The idea is that when you install a free program such as a file sharing client program, you also agree to install the companion adware or spyware programs. By selling advertising, software companies can continue to give away their client programs for free and still make money. (Once you install adware/spyware on your computer, you may suddenly notice pop-up ads springing up on your screen whether you’re using the file sharing network or not.)
To help you determine whether a particular client program comes embedded-with adware or spyware, visit Spyware Info (http://www.spywareinfo. com/articles/p2p). Before installing a client program, browse its website to see if it reveals whether it’s freeware or advertisement-sponsored. You can often detect adware/spyware in a client program during the installation program because a screen will pop up and ask if you agree to install and run a program to display ads, as shown in Figure 2-12.
Figure 2-12: If a screen pops up and asks if you want to install additional software besides a client program for a network, chances are good that you’ll be installing adware/spyware.
Most people accept adware/spyware as the price they need to pay for using a particular file sharing network, but now that you know you can find free client programs without adware/spyware, you should use those alternatives instead, unless you enjoy getting bombarded with pop-up ads whenever you use your computer.
Most client programs can connect to only one file sharing network, so if you can’t find a particular file on one file sharing network, you often have to run a second or a third client program to access a different network. To avoid this inconvenience, a handful of client programs offer the ability to access multiple file sharing networks, as shown in Figure 2-13. This means you can use a single client program to search for a file, no matter which file sharing network it may be stored on.
Figure 2-13: Programs like Shareaza can connect to multiple file sharing networks, such as Gnutella and eDonkey2000.
Here are some popular multinetwork client programs:
MLdonkey (http://www.nongnu.org/mldonkey) Accesses Gnutella, Gnutella2, OpenNap, FastTrack, Overnet, and DirectConnect
giFT (http://sourceforge.net/projects/gift) Accesses FastTrack, OpenFT, and Gnutella
Poisoned (http://gottsilla.net) Accesses Gnutella, FastTrack, and OpenFT
iSwipe (http://www.hillmanminx.net/iswipe) Accesses Gnutella, FastTrack, OpenNap, and OpenFT
Shareaza (http://www.shareaza.com) Accesses Gnutella, Gnutella2, eDonkey2000, and BitTorrent
One problem with multinetwork client programs is that they may not offer all the features that a client program that is specifically designed for one file sharing network might offer. While not as well known as dedicated client programs like Kazaa or Morpheus, multinetwork client programs probably represent the future of file sharing clients, given their reach across multiple networks, which greatly increases the chance that you’ll find the file you want.
File sharing by itself isn’t illegal; it’s what people trade that could be illegal. With the recording industry and government authorities cracking down on people trading copyrighted files, many client programs offer special anonymity and encryption features to mask your IP address so nobody can trace you. To ensure anonymity, these more specialized client programs rely on their own file sharing networks, which means that they aren’t as popular, so the file selection isn’t as great as the older, more established networks such as FastTrack or Gnutella.
Filetopia (http://www.filetopia.org), EarthStation 5 (http://www.es5.com), and Mnet (http://mnet.sourceforge.net) rely on encryption to keep others from detecting what types of files you may be trading, as shown in Figure 2-14. Encryption can mask either your IP address or the type of files you’re sharing. Just remember that there is no such thing as true anonymity over the Internet; encryption makes users more difficult to identify, but not impossible.
Figure 2-14: A program like Filetopia offers different ways to encrypt your information from prying eyes.
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