peer-to-peer (P2P) software briefly explained
On the internet, peer-to-peer is a type of file-sharing network that allows users with the same networking software to access the contents of a specified area on each other's hard drives. How it works -
Once the networking software is installed on a user's computer, they are able to call or log into the computer of another user currently on the file sharing network. Each user can specify what files they will allow to be shared within their specified drive and underlying folders. Napster was (is?) the forerunner in peer-to-peer networking over the Internet through its development and implementation of software that has allowed millions of internet users to distribute MP3 audio files. A long legal battle between Napster and the copyright holders of the music encoded and exchanged across the Napster network has seen its recent fall in this area. But the use of peer-to-peer as a means of transporting and exchanging files among employees and businesses directly, rather than via a centralized server, is currently being investigated for the advantages of its use by the online corporation. | 
