Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff [Paperback]

Chris Fehily (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 24, 2011

Neighbors with hand-labeled DVD collections. Teenagers with 5000-song iPods. Entire countries sharing the same copy of Windows. Who are these people? They're file sharers and they account for a third of worldwide internet traffic. Their swag is anything that can be digitized and copied.

But file-sharing networks aren't only for pirates. Musicians and writers use them to gauge their popularity. Artists and filmmakers use them to boost recognition. Government employees use them to secretly download WikiLeaks archives. TV producers use them to confirm audience measurements. Politicians and judges use them to make policy and rulings. Traders and marketers use them to spot trends.

• Learn how BitTorrent and peer-to-peer networks work
• Set up a BitTorrent client and find files to download
• Open, play, read, or run what you download
• Know the risks of file sharing and avoid fakes, scams, and viruses

Editorial Reviews

Review

A remarkably calm look at the technical, social, economic and cultural issues arising from file-sharing, and it's also a damned practical guide to navigating the strange world of file-sharing technology.
--Cory Doctorow, boingboing.net

An essential primer on File Sharing for those not in the know.
--Leo M, Brain Scratch

Chris Fehily won't exactly call [middle-class consumers] suckers, but he will show them -- as well as college students, crackers, digital anarchists and others -- the Pirate Way.
--J.D. Lasica, socialmedia.biz

If you're technology averse and want to enjoy the fruits of piracy you should find this book has great appeal.
--Moshe Reuveni, R-Views

From the Back Cover

Contents
1. The Terrain
2. Understanding BitTorrent
3. File Types
4. Malware
5. Archives
6. Installing a BitTorrent Client
7. BitTorrent Search Engines
8. Finding Torrents
9. Customizing Your Client
10. Downloading Torrents
11. Movies and TV Shows
12. Pictures
13. Music and Spoken Word
14. Books, Documents, and Fonts
15. Applications and Games

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Questing Vole Press (January 24, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978590767
• ISBN-13: 978-0978590765
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #817,554 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cancel Cable But Keep Your Internet Connection, February 3, 2011

By 

D. Pennington (Sherwood, OR USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff (Paperback)

I originally disapproved of this digital-stealing book, but I was mistaken. Books like this are useful and, at times, necessary. This one is strong on the how-to: it's short, technical, and easy to understand. The author's experience and advice is on every page.

If you're an average Joe with low to middle internet skills, this book will prevent headaches, save your computer, and explain the price of gullibility. Accept as fact that internet pirates are technically savvy, and a few of them are malicious and may be a notch brighter and more experienced than you. You're an easy mark without experience. Cancel Cable provides knowledge. Chris Fehily knows his audience. People looking for something for nothing aren't likely to be cautious and skeptical, as they should be. Most of them aren't going to do the research needed to avoid the traps and false starts involved in downloading a DVD or game for free. It's easier to buy the item legally.

In sum, this book is a shortcut. It's a well-written quickstart guide similar to any number of computer books that you own or have thumbed through. The topic is a little racier, but the goal is the same: getting your computer to be more useful.

If you're not pirate material, but still want to know how pirates operate, then read this book for an explanation of the process and the very elegant technology behind it. I found the chapters that describe how this alien world works to be the most interesting.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Guide To Torrents, February 17, 2011

By 

Bartleby Scrivener (Omaha, NE United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff (Paperback)

If you have ever wondered exactly how torrents work, and what to watch out for when you use them, this is the book for you. (And torrents aren't just for pirates!) This book could be huge, because the biggest impediment to using bit torrent is fear of the unknown. After all, you are downloading files which MAY contain malware or spyware. Cancel Cable goes a long way to dispelling that fear with its crystal clear, step-by-step explanations and common-sense precautions.

Chris Fehily is the author of many programming and computer books. His signature style is direct, simple, and succinct. When you need a working example (instead of a theoretical explanation) one appears; same goes for graphics. And you can't beat the price. Happy downloading!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mysteries Unveiled, March 9, 2011

By 

Stephen Sundheimer - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Cancel Cable: How Internet Pirates Get Free Stuff (Paperback)

This is an excellent survey course in a subject that has aroused the interest of and perplexed many computer users. Well writen and easy to understand Cancel Cable explains how to access the exhaustive materials heretofore unavailable at no charge.

Books, movies, sporting events, TV shows and music are only a few clicks away ! One or two fun-filled evenings of reading will light the path. There are portions relating to associated topics, eg malware and ethical issues, that are thought provoking and germane.