Customer Reviews

Steal This File Sharing Book: What They Won't Tell You About File Sharing

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a lot of fun. It covers both legal and illegal aspects of file sharing, primarily of finding music, movies, hacked software and adult entertainment. He covers a variety of file sharing networks and applications. But the primary value of the book is in the experience he impart. The etiquette of file sharing, how to secure your files and avoid the security problems.

The coverage is fairly high level. You won't be getting step-by-step instructions in how to rip DVDs. The topics are covered, but the author generally leaves it to you to navigate all of the features of any particular application.

This book is better than the shoddy cover would imply, but the organization could have used some work. Definitely worth a look for those interested in doing a lot of file sharing.

Looking for controversy? No shortage of it in this book. One can readily imagine this book as contraband in some regimes. Wang describes the major file sharing networks of our time. Gnutella, FastTrack, BitTorrent and others. He gives you the gist of each and how to get started using them to download files. All the major networks are designed to be easy to use for the layperson. Indeed, we see that this is a necessary condition for their popularity.

IRC usage is also explained. This is also an important electronic modality for downloading files. Ditto with Instant Messaging offerings from MSN, Yahoo and ICQ.

Naturally, a large portion of the book discusses what types of files get downloaded. Most music. Some video. But still limited because of the sheer amount of data in a typical film. Wang covers the continuing controversies in a fairly neutral tone. Overall, he supports the usage of the networks. Though he decries the copyright infringement. One might wonder, though, if it is because for practical reasons, he cannot take any other stance, given that he is espousing his view in the permanent form of this book. And that he is doing so with a reputable publisher, No Starch. So this is no samizdat.

Wang's other book (Steal This Computer Book) explored the "dark underbelly" of the 'Net and this book in effect picks up where the other book leaves off. You can debate whether or not file sharing is legal and ethical, but no one can deny it is here to stay. Not only does Wang explain where to find files (at places like file sharing networks, newsgroups, chat rooms, etc.), he also describes ways to stay anonymous while doing so. There are also chapters on file formats, sharing music, movies, TV shows, even software, video games and the most popular item, pornography.

I find it interesting speaking of porn that porn producers seem to have found ways to deal with this issue and yet the "establishment" still feels the best way to fight it is through legal action. The book's last two chapters describe the future of file sharing and how the entertainment industries continue to fight back. They may try copy protection schemes, but it seems there's always someone who finds a way to defeat those schemes.

Regardless of how you feel about this issue, this is a well-written and informative book, written in the same spirit of Steal This Computer Book.

I love Wallace Wang's Steal This Computer Book 3. In this book, Wang takes his best-selling knowledge and writing style and focuses it on a new subject- sharing files.

I learned a lot in the opening section. I have been familiar with peer-to-peer (P2P) networking since the advent of Napster, but I was not aware that such a wide variety of sources existed for finding and sharing files. Wang points out web sites, FTP sites, instant messaging and chat rooms and more where you can share files.

Even better than that, he doesn't just list sites, but rather provides in-depth analysis of many, explaining what is good or bad about the different resources and pitfalls to watch out for. He also includes many graphic illustrations which help you understand the information better.

This book sheds light on a number of "fringe" file sharing tools and resources. The mainstream is familiar with the likes of Kazaa and Morpheus, but Wang delves into many more tools. He points out some of the things to watch out for when using some of the shadier tools and networks as well.

The RIAA and MPAA may not like it, but in some way, shape or form, file sharing is here to stay and this book will help you find what you need and use file sharing securely.

(...)

If you haven't downloaded a music or DVD file and you don't hang around file swapping channels then this book will quickly bring you up to date on the subject.

Using the same approach as in his "Steal this Computer Book" series, Wang gives us uncensored information on this topic. Too many journalists are either technically uninformed or seem to have signed up to the thought police to make media reports reliable. The author provides the information and allows you to draw your own conclusions.

Topics covered include:
- how to look for files;
- an explanation of the main peer-to-peer technologies from the user's point of view;
- searching in newsgroups, instant messaging services, chat rooms, on web servers and ftp sites;
- hiding your identity and protecting your computer from searches and malicious software;
- file formats;
- finding and sharing music, movies and TV shows, photos and images, books, software, and video games (emulators, ROM images).

Wang uncovers some some forms of theft which were news to me: sound bites and samples, guitar chords, bandwidth theft, website theft, recipes even needlework patterns! Can you imagine hangin' with a gang of needlewarz d00dz?

What is disappointing is that this book is sold world wide, but the author only covers legal liabilities and possible lawsuits from the US viewpoint. It would have been relatively easy to include international viewpoints since there is a great deal of uniformity with the US being odd man out. This is an unfortunate and common limitation of US authors.

The author also describes legal filesharing with those vendors who have come to terms withm the new technology.

Well worth the read!

Whether it's music, programs, games, books or other files it seems that everyone is downloading something over the Internet these days. If you want to know how to find the files you want and download them safely then you will be interested in this book.

The author covers a wide array of places to find files including newsgroups, websites, Instant Messenger, Internet Relay Chat, FTP, and networks that are designed specifically for file sharing such as Gnutella, FastTrack, and eDonkey. One of the most interesting parts for the average computer user is the one with information on how to remain anonymous when sharing files. Of course, this section also includes information on the problems of file sharing - viruses, worms, Trojans, spyware, adware, and even warez.

I've traded files and worked on the Internet for years and I still learned a few tips in this book. The author includes lots of illustrations and specific web sites where you can download the programs he mentions as well as several alternative ones. Mr. Wang even provides a complete analysis of each program's advantages and disadvantages. One of the things I really like is the fact that he includes information on programs you should be careful downloading and using including Fast Track clients that come loaded with spyware like Kazaa and iMesh.

If you don't like AIM he even covers Private Internet Messenger products like Meet Gate, P2P Instant Messenger, and Pal Talk. The breadth of coverage is impressive, the writing and organization excellent. Steal This File-Sharing Book is highly recommended to anyone who shares files over the Internet.

It's a nice overview book. Goes into how musicians, writers and other artists can use file sharing to get attention outside the large media outlets, which is probably why the large media outlets ignore this subject.
There's the downside, mostly spyware, and Wang goes into that. His interview was good on First Voice Books (www.firstvoicebooks.com/filesharing.html).
I think file sharing will grow up as the years go by and morph into a tool for companies and associations to distribute their work. Is it just a dream? Yahoo, MSN and Google don't think so.

Almost 90% of the information I found in this book can be found online in a matter of minutes from any major news source. All the concepts presented are basic in design and offer no technical explanation on how to do anything. The only positive points I saw in this book was it's website references. There are hundreds of websites listed with further information and software on every topic of file sharing and other copyright enigmas. It's decent for a beginner in file sharing to understand the basics. For everyone else, it makes for good reference material to find the information you were hoping to get from the book.

The title of Steal This File Sharing Book: What They Won't Tell Your About File Sharing, by Wallace Wang (No Starch Press), may make it sound as if you're thumbing through a blueprint on how to take down the entertainment industry and their allies at the Justice Department, but what we really have here is the definitive look at the file sharing movement.

Wang's right: You won't find this kind of information about the ins and outs of the P2P networks in the traditional press. Music, movie, video games, software, porn -- it's all here, ready to snag with a few mouse clicks.

The author pokes and prods his way through the shadowy corners of the Darknet, exposing the realms where millions of people come together to trade files and engage in other furtive activities that threaten the republic's foundations. Or not.

Most of us know about the Kazaas and eDonkeys of the world. Wang takes us deeper, showing how to conduct more effective searches for the files we crave. Level by level, we descend through the rungs of P2P, from file sharing software like Shareaza, Deepnet Explorer and <a href=http://songcrawler.com>Songcrawler</a> to Usenet, Internet Relay Chat, and Manolito, "a treasure trove for finding rare and bootleg music that you probably won't find anywhere else."

Anonymity and hiding your identity are covered, natch, for the readers who want to do more than just read about these services. Wang offers tips on data protection, how to stop spyware and pop-up ads, and how to securely delete files. There's even a section on building your own private encrypted network, or darknet.

Unlike Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book, which openly advocated counterculture legal hijinks a generation ago, Wang is no bomb-thrower, offering a fairly down-the-middle discourse on the legalities of all this rather than advocating a mass P2P assault on the door of the entertainment industries' Bastille.

While a few chapters briefly touch on the causes and ethics of illegal file sharing, Steal This File Sharing Book is less interested in the whys or whos than with the how-to's. For anyone who seriously dabbles in digital media, has a stake in the file sharing wars or is simply interested in how today's generation of kids has found new ways of sticking it to The Man, Wang's book is a must-read.

This book is by far one of the most comprehensive on the subject of content sharing. Informative on so many levels, this book provides the reader with a easy-to-comprehend enjoyable read that is hard to put down. You learn the legalities of File sharing, the different types of file sharing, such as book sharing, distribution of programs, how these networks and distribution services work, censorship, your rights, and much more. I first read this when I was about 14 years old, and now as a web technician, it is something I consistently find myself referencing. I'm not much of a reader, but anyone who considers themselves a computer guru should posses most of the knowledge contained in this book. I find myself learning new things each time I read it. With detailed and well written instructions and details, this is a must have for anyone trying to make something of themselves in the technical world. Its a good starter book, if you have a general knoladge of computers and want to take a look at what the underground world of the internet looks like. Well written and well put together, its definitely a book worth looking into.