The Peer to Peer Dilemma
The information age, also known as the computer age or information era, is an age where individuals will have the ability to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge. The information era started during the early 90’s, with the development of the internet playing a major role in this change. A few years later, computer scientists invented the peer to peer system. The peer to peer system is a type of transient internet network that allows a group of computer users with the same networking program to connect with each other and directly access files from one another's hard drives. (Wolff, 2004).
Peer to peer technology has given us a better appreciation for the internet because of the new features it offers such as the integration of computer telephony that improved online calls, real time data streaming that facilitates media streaming like video and audio, and file sharing which enabled the sharing of almost anything in virtual space. Among these features, one caught the eye of millions of cyber rebels across this digital world, the ability of file sharing. And because of the goodness in us humans, we share, uncontrollably and immeasurable in number, giving the content owning community something to remember the information age by. An age when their content had more illegal copies shared through copyright infringing methods than legal copies sold.
In short, although peer to peer technology infringers the copyright laws, it should still be supported because it offers computer telephony integration which enables online phone calls, it presents data streaming used in media such as audio and video, and it allows file sharing which enables the sharing of almost anything in virtual space.
But is it reasonable to abolish the peer to peer system? A system that has been in service for so long, that it has been the basis of such companies like YouTube’s, Skype and Yahoo!’s Yahoo! Messenger software. Such technology is necessary for products and services like YouTube -a website company that uses the data streaming ability of the peer to peer technology- basically streams videos that can be watched by everybody who can gain access to it. These videos are uploaded by registered users who before uploading, must conform to certain rules and conditions set by the company to ensure that they do not infringe copyright laws. Skype is a software that uses the computer telephony feature of peer to peer technology. It makes possible for free online video calls that can connect anybody with a computer, an internet connection and a copy of the free software to others around the globe. Yahoo!’s Yahoo! Messenger is a software that allows internet relay chat and video streaming. Yahoo! Messenger or YM, is similar to Skype in terms of the services offered, although YM has more features than Skype like file sharing, the photo share function which allows real-time photo sharing. Those were some of the basic products and services that most of us use, others even rely on it.
The continuation of peer to peer technology does not only benefit the people utilizing its services, but also the companies whose major product or service relies on peer to peer technology. There are a large number of people that benefit from online chat to communicate with their loved ones who are far from them. Online communication like chatting, video calls, and online calls are currently the cheapest option here in the Philippines to communicate with people overseas, costing for as low as 15 pesos per hour or 25 centavos a minute for computer rental in computer shops. When compared to long distance phone calls that can cost up to more than 10 pesos per minute, it is clear why this service is preferred. Companies like Google who owns YouTube, Skype and Yahoo also benefit from these technological innovations. Google’s YouTube relies on data streaming to stream it’s videos on the websites to be viewed by the users. YouTube currently has more than 60 million registered users and more than a billion videos uploaded. It is currently third in the ALEXA ranking list which makes it the third most visited website in the world next to Yahoo!.(Alexa, 2009) The website traffic that YouTube and Yahoo get makes them prime sites to advertise and therefore attracts a lot groups and companies who are willing to pay to be advertised. Yahoo! offers its services by distributing their free Yahoo! Messenger software which allows a variety of services making communication and file sharing easier. Aside from the free services that Skype offers, it also has a premium-level service which provides better services than the basic-level service for a price which by the way is very affordable. They also attract people who are willing to advertise in their website. On the other side of things, abolishing the peer to peer technology will not solve the problem with illegal sharing and infringement of the copyright laws. Note that peer to peer technology only made it easier to share files and that there are many other ways to share files like the server-client method where a client uploads files to a server and clients download these files for free. Professor Lawrence Lessig - an American academic and political activist best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright and trademark, particularly in technology applications- included in his blog that Fred von Lohmann and his colleagues at EFF have suggested an innovative alternative to litigation and traditional compulsory licenses. Their approach, described as a "voluntary collective licensing" system, is aimed at compensating artists while ensuring that new technology will flourish. (Lessig, 2004)
The most feasible option to appease those who are fighting against piracy is to conceive a plan that will eliminate the current problem in the file sharing feature of the peer to peer system. That way, we could carry on with the peer to peer technology and prevent any more problems with the pro-peer to peer community.
The peer to peer system is now a significant and permanent aspect of the internet and it should not be abolished. It should not be blamed for the infringement of copyright laws because it is only being taken advantage of therefore it is only an instrument. You cannot sue a knife for killing a man. The technology and the laws regarding copyright materials are the ones that should be improved.
The information age, also known as the computer age or information era, is an age where individuals will have the ability to transfer information freely, and to have instant access to knowledge. The information era started during the early 90’s, with the development of the internet playing a major role in this change. A few years later, computer scientists invented the peer to peer system. The peer to peer system is a type of transient internet network that allows a group of computer users with the same networking program to connect with each other and directly access files from one another's hard drives. (Wolff, 2004).
Peer to peer technology has given us a better appreciation for the internet because of the new features it offers such as the integration of computer telephony that improved online calls, real time data streaming that facilitates media streaming like video and audio, and file sharing which enabled the sharing of almost anything in virtual space. Among these features, one caught the eye of millions of cyber rebels across this digital world, the ability of file sharing. And because of the goodness in us humans, we share, uncontrollably and immeasurable in number, giving the content owning community something to remember the information age by. An age when their content had more illegal copies shared through copyright infringing methods than legal copies sold.
In short, although peer to peer technology infringers the copyright laws, it should still be supported because it offers computer telephony integration which enables online phone calls, it presents data streaming used in media such as audio and video, and it allows file sharing which enables the sharing of almost anything in virtual space.
But is it reasonable to abolish the peer to peer system? A system that has been in service for so long, that it has been the basis of such companies like YouTube’s, Skype and Yahoo!’s Yahoo! Messenger software. Such technology is necessary for products and services like YouTube -a website company that uses the data streaming ability of the peer to peer technology- basically streams videos that can be watched by everybody who can gain access to it. These videos are uploaded by registered users who before uploading, must conform to certain rules and conditions set by the company to ensure that they do not infringe copyright laws. Skype is a software that uses the computer telephony feature of peer to peer technology. It makes possible for free online video calls that can connect anybody with a computer, an internet connection and a copy of the free software to others around the globe. Yahoo!’s Yahoo! Messenger is a software that allows internet relay chat and video streaming. Yahoo! Messenger or YM, is similar to Skype in terms of the services offered, although YM has more features than Skype like file sharing, the photo share function which allows real-time photo sharing. Those were some of the basic products and services that most of us use, others even rely on it.
The continuation of peer to peer technology does not only benefit the people utilizing its services, but also the companies whose major product or service relies on peer to peer technology. There are a large number of people that benefit from online chat to communicate with their loved ones who are far from them. Online communication like chatting, video calls, and online calls are currently the cheapest option here in the Philippines to communicate with people overseas, costing for as low as 15 pesos per hour or 25 centavos a minute for computer rental in computer shops. When compared to long distance phone calls that can cost up to more than 10 pesos per minute, it is clear why this service is preferred. Companies like Google who owns YouTube, Skype and Yahoo also benefit from these technological innovations. Google’s YouTube relies on data streaming to stream it’s videos on the websites to be viewed by the users. YouTube currently has more than 60 million registered users and more than a billion videos uploaded. It is currently third in the ALEXA ranking list which makes it the third most visited website in the world next to Yahoo!.(Alexa, 2009) The website traffic that YouTube and Yahoo get makes them prime sites to advertise and therefore attracts a lot groups and companies who are willing to pay to be advertised. Yahoo! offers its services by distributing their free Yahoo! Messenger software which allows a variety of services making communication and file sharing easier. Aside from the free services that Skype offers, it also has a premium-level service which provides better services than the basic-level service for a price which by the way is very affordable. They also attract people who are willing to advertise in their website. On the other side of things, abolishing the peer to peer technology will not solve the problem with illegal sharing and infringement of the copyright laws. Note that peer to peer technology only made it easier to share files and that there are many other ways to share files like the server-client method where a client uploads files to a server and clients download these files for free. Professor Lawrence Lessig - an American academic and political activist best known as a proponent of reduced legal restrictions on copyright and trademark, particularly in technology applications- included in his blog that Fred von Lohmann and his colleagues at EFF have suggested an innovative alternative to litigation and traditional compulsory licenses. Their approach, described as a "voluntary collective licensing" system, is aimed at compensating artists while ensuring that new technology will flourish. (Lessig, 2004)
The most feasible option to appease those who are fighting against piracy is to conceive a plan that will eliminate the current problem in the file sharing feature of the peer to peer system. That way, we could carry on with the peer to peer technology and prevent any more problems with the pro-peer to peer community.
The peer to peer system is now a significant and permanent aspect of the internet and it should not be abolished. It should not be blamed for the infringement of copyright laws because it is only being taken advantage of therefore it is only an instrument. You cannot sue a knife for killing a man. The technology and the laws regarding copyright materials are the ones that should be improved.
also this..
ReplyDeletethanks for reading martin..
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the comment / info!
this essay was a requirement for my course subject ENGLCOM. :D