File Sharing Services and Technologies
Ilonen, Timo (2016)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016101014984
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2016101014984
Tiivistelmä
The purpose of this thesis was to study file sharing in its many forms, focusing on the services and technologies behind it, as well as gauging its effects on companies and consumers alike.
The thesis begins with a relatively brief overview of how file sharing worked in pre-Internet times, from the first floppy disks to early forms of networked sharing such as Usenet, the thesis then moves on to its main focus: file sharing in the Internet age. It covers a wide variety of topics, starting with torrent technology, explaining how peer-to-peer based file sharing works. The thesis then covers a topic closely related to torrents: digital piracy. It explains how illegal file sharing took place before the Internet, how Internet-based piracy works and how peer-to-peer technologies aided its emerge. The thesis also briefly covers legal and ethical matters and examines the impact piracy has had on various industries. The thesis also addresses cloud storage services, streaming services and digital distribution and the technologies behind these services, as well as the kind of consumer experience they provide. Finally, the thesis examines digital rights management, an ever-pressing issue in the field of file sharing.
These topics are then included in an online survey carried out to gather real-life data on consumer behavior. A total of 42 people answered the survey. The survey’s main findings include support for the claims made in the thesis regarding the popularity of various file sharing methods, since the answers fell largely in line with the assumptions of the author. In addition, a number of more interesting findings were made, mainly regarding attitudes toward region locking and willingness to pay for the use of cloud storage services.
The thesis begins with a relatively brief overview of how file sharing worked in pre-Internet times, from the first floppy disks to early forms of networked sharing such as Usenet, the thesis then moves on to its main focus: file sharing in the Internet age. It covers a wide variety of topics, starting with torrent technology, explaining how peer-to-peer based file sharing works. The thesis then covers a topic closely related to torrents: digital piracy. It explains how illegal file sharing took place before the Internet, how Internet-based piracy works and how peer-to-peer technologies aided its emerge. The thesis also briefly covers legal and ethical matters and examines the impact piracy has had on various industries. The thesis also addresses cloud storage services, streaming services and digital distribution and the technologies behind these services, as well as the kind of consumer experience they provide. Finally, the thesis examines digital rights management, an ever-pressing issue in the field of file sharing.
These topics are then included in an online survey carried out to gather real-life data on consumer behavior. A total of 42 people answered the survey. The survey’s main findings include support for the claims made in the thesis regarding the popularity of various file sharing methods, since the answers fell largely in line with the assumptions of the author. In addition, a number of more interesting findings were made, mainly regarding attitudes toward region locking and willingness to pay for the use of cloud storage services.