Darknet

The darknet and deep web are totally different. Darknets “a collection of networks, groups of computers connected together allowing each other to share digital content.” Traditionally e-mail or files saved on disks physically delivered to another person was the only way to send information from one computer to another.  Darknet allows users to upload items on a server directly received from peer to peer. “The vast, gathering, lawless economy of shared music, movies, television shows, games, software rivals the products and services of the entertainment companies.”  Darknet can be a great way to share information, and develop more effective literacies. The most popular aspect of the darknet is Gnutella, its clients are:

BearShare

Gnucleus

LimeWire

Morpheus

WinMX

XoloX

I’m sure one of these may sound familiar.  When you request a song or video or any other piece of information software installed on your computer seeks other computers and networks to find that one that has what you have requested. “There is no central database” all information is not stored and fenced in.  There is no one spider or bot that digs, no one computer alone “knows all of the files available on the Gnutella network.” Working together using software installed on your computer, “all of the machines on network tell each other about available files using a distributed query approach.” Unlike Napstar, which stored all its information content in a central database with a search engine “this is why technically there is not copyright infringement” no one main source allows it and it evades copyright, “no central database that can be shut down.”  “Instead Gnutella works between peers” a connection between you and the person you are getting information from just like a telephone conversation.  Copyright allows sharing copyrighted stuff between “friends.”[1]

 

However, there are some concerns with the darkweb; first is “free riding” when someone only takes information and puts nothing up and the next is “lack of anonymity.” Attacks are another threat that have not yet been fully assessed.  Lack of anonymity is one of my all time greatest fears.  Even thought you can firewall I still have irrational fears of sneaks n’ peaks, especially even now with the US PATRIOT Act allowing this to occur at any time and with out a warrant.  With the internet it’s like the street.  Don’t do anything that you normally wouldn’t do in the streets of our fair city.  

 

Immediately after learning exactly what it was you were doing while you were downloading those pop songs, you wanted to learn how you could start to share what you have.  This is wonderful, the spirit of freedom begin by “uploading.”  If you would like to discuss this more we can set up a time to chat tell me next week.

JD Lasica.  Concepts:  Darknet. . Mar 3, 2008. Darknet: Hollywood’s War Against the Digital Generation.  9 May 2008. <http://www.darknet.com/2005/05/concept_darknet.html&gt;

 

Brain, Marshall.  “How Gnutella Works.”  23 July 2002.  HowStuffWorks.com. 09 May 2008. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/file-sharing.htm&gt;  

 

 

Peter Biddle, Paul England, Marcus Peinado, and Bryan Willman. The Darknet and the Future of Content Distribution.  2002.  Microsoft Corporation. 9 May 2008.  <http://msl1.mit.edu/ESD10/docs/darknet5.pdf&gt;

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[1] However, the darknet as a whole was never under significant legal threat. Reasons may have included its limited commercial impact and the protection from legal surveillance afforded by sharing amongst friends.