P2P questions

Hi Guys,
I am doing my PhD generally in P2P networks and I am still confused in which extent in peer to peer I go through. I am thinking of security but still security is open issue and I think it is not suitable to go through it in my view. Anyway, I am reading right now in Trust Management in Peer to Peer, Particularly, In Incentive Mechanisms for sharing and cooperating in peer to peer networks and I might look at it from the opposite side which is the Impact of Incentives mechanisms in the P2P users' behaviour.
So, guys I really in need of your recommendations and advice.

Best regards,

PhD. on p2p? o.0now that's a first. i didn't get your post first time reading through and i'm going to bed but good luck with it anyways ^^

I love scientific works on p2p : )
Perhaps I can help, although also for me the level the text is written in is high and I'm not sure if I can really help so much : P

Security in p2p is a difficult thing and often there is not so much to say at all. If you have a personal darknet, it won't get infiltrated by spies. Once a system gets too big and meaningful, the representants of the industry will get notice of it and will investigate. If the system has a big impact on economics, then they might also fight it, trying to sue the provider and if this doesn't work out they go after individuals. This is common knowledge as it often went this way..

Of course the routing mechanisms like in Freenet are also an interesting thing, with the plausible deniability to protect individuals, but it doesn't play a big role in the file swapping scene because it is very slow while consuming a lot of traffic. Without this downside, unidentified communication between two partys is not possible. Then there's of course ideas like OFF, where we have multiple-use encoded blocks which would be ok to swap as they don't hold a particular copyright. But all these systems are more for philosophy and for the interested people, they are not so attractive to the actual file sharers because they are slow and total anonymity is a bit exaggerated for this, also it's unsure if the plausible deniability would help so much anyway.

Then with the incentives, it is much about a community where we all give each other and also receive goods. We all used to be required to pay high prices for limited experience and getting content was hard, now that we help each other we can all have more. This is also described by the LimeWire video Sharing with others :)

Reciprocity does also a noticeable effect. I give you and you give me. The downloads in p2p are only possible because others share, and most members of the p2p community will also have no problem to give back.

But besides the fact that sharing is needed, many also like to let others have part in what they love. Like if you got a song you really like, you are happy if you can make others the joy you have yourself by sending them a copy. This is why sharing beloved content is much easier and often done with higher motivation than with content that is not so important for you.

So long ~