A Newbie With Some Questions

[Latherin]

Hello all. i just registered here because for some time ive been interested in file sharing but am fairly PC foolish.
if i ask any questions that are illegal or stupid please forgive me.. like i said i dont even know what im alowed to do and what is a no no.

my interests ( and i think i have the right site) are the ability to download movies to DVD, games ( Xbox mainly) and of course music.
ive heard from a few people ( a couple at a Best Buy store) that they actualy download these and have quite a selection. unfortunately i asked this question at "PC Pitstop" and was promptly told "NO illegal information" and the topic was locked.
well .... maybe im just too simple but did they mean everything i asked was illegal or just some parts.
i realy dont understand how all this works but as of today im determined to learn and, if i can do it, purchase what i need.
this file sharing sounds like a fun downtime hobby.
so heres my questions.

1. obviously id like to know what is actualy alowed and what of all the things ive asked is a no no.

2. how can i.. if i can. down load DVD movies.. ive heard i can even download some of them before they come out at places like Block Busters.. (a rental place i abhore)

3. the same as #2 but for music instead of movies

4. same as #2 and 3 (laughs) but for games, mainly Xbox.

5. i have a 2 Ghrz, 80 gig Hd, with a 128 mb Ge force 4 ti 4400. cd writer only... no dvd as of yet, and of course floppy.
what other equipment would i need if i am able to do this.. i was told ( by the same Best Buy felas) that the average joe cant do it ( no offense to any of you named Joe) and that i had to have my own server , ect.. blah blah blah.. i dont remember what all he said

6. how is security handled with file sharing? ive heard horror stories of PC's actualy being destroyed.. and although mine isnt the top of the line.. its something i saved quite a long time for , so im a bit terified of that.

7. can a person take advantage of this with out leaving his/her pc open for use. not that i dont want to share..but as of yet im afraid i dont have anything worth taking.. heck i dont even have windows xp.. the program came on my pc.. sad i know.

8. what am i missing (laughs) sorry but i realy am new to this.

ps. i know a lot of this is scattered through out this very information packed site.. and i looked and found answeres to some of it.. but much of the information that ive found on the internet is obscure, incomplete or is simply different from each other. i was hoping for a few responses that i can print out and hold onto. i guess i need a bible type of response that i can keep in a folder.
( i know its asking a lot, but maybe there is someone out there that has some extra time on thier hands )

Thanks

Latherin

PSS. i might have sent this message twice.. the first time my pc froze and im not sure if it went through or not.. sorry if it did.

[loz]

That guy in the store didn't half tell you some s**t.

Movies- yes you can sometimes get them before they come out on DVD/Video depending on where you live (they come out in america before europe usually).

Music- most of the time

X-Box games- look around software world.

Use peer guardian & you could take some other precautions & you should be alright (have been doing it for about 3 years & am fine, know people that have been doing it much longer with no protection & they're fine)

[Latherin]

thanks for the fast reply.. i looked up that site you mentioned.. looks like they are either shut down or are actualy not taking any members

what equipment do you recomend that i have.. more than what i have currently i mean.?

and you mentioned that i can get "some new movies" does that mean i can get most if not all the older ones that are a year or so old? or is it a slim selection there as well?

thanks again

[Jibbler]

Originally posted by Latherin@4 July 2003 - 15:33
1. obviously id like to know what is actualy alowed and what of all the things ive asked is a no no.

2. how can i.. if i can. down load DVD movies.. ive heard i can even download some of them before they come out at places like Block Busters.. (a rental place i abhore)

3. the same as #2 but for music instead of movies

4. same as #2 and 3 (laughs) but for games, mainly Xbox.

5. i have a 2 Ghrz, 80 gig Hd, with a 128 mb Ge force 4 ti 4400. cd writer only... no dvd as of yet, and of course floppy.
what other equipment would i need if i am able to do this.. i was told ( by the same Best Buy felas) that the average joe cant do it ( no offense to any of you named Joe) and that i had to have my own server , ect.. blah blah blah.. i dont remember what all he said

6. how is security handled with file sharing? ive heard horror stories of PC's actualy being destroyed.. and although mine isnt the top of the line.. its something i saved quite a long time for , so im a bit terified of that.

7. can a person take advantage of this with out leaving his/her pc open for use. not that i dont want to share..but as of yet im afraid i dont have anything worth taking.. heck i dont even have windows xp.. the program came on my pc.. sad i know.

8. what am i missing (laughs) sorry but i realy am new to this.

1. What is allowed? Its all illegal, we trade copyrighted movies, music, books, etc. Rarely anyone is caught, however, it could happen.

2. How to download DVD quality movies? Fire up kazaa and search for what you want. However, the Kazaa network is being flooded with fakes files, and the threats of the RIAA. There is virtually no security in Kazaa, which means anytime you are on the network, your security is compromised, at least in theory.

3. follow #2--Kazaa has the best mp3 selection available anywhere, hands down

4. xbox games are very rare on Kazaa, if you want these, you need to have your Xbox modded with a chip, then learn IRC. That's one of the few places that you'll find Xbox/PS2 games online.

5. A DVD writer is a bit expensive and there is a huge learning curve. Best bet is to find a $100 DVD player that plays VCD/SVCD. Most movies online are encoded in this format. That way you can download 90% of the movies with ease.

6. PC security is hard to explain. If you want to be secure, Kazaa is slowly going to be obsolete. Horror stories of PCs being destroyed are virtually all bullshit. Occasionally people will contract a computer virus of sorts, but this is rare. Norton Anti Virus is a cheap program to buy, and will provide you with the best protection available for your pc.

7. Not sure I understand the question here. Filesharing is about sharing. In most cases, you don't have to offer anything in return, other than sharing what you download so that others can enjoy it as well.

8. What are you missing? This is a hobby, enjoy it. If you want really high quality files, you'll have to spend some time looking. Websites like www.vcdquality.com index movies that are available online. www.mp3hq.net is for music that is released.

[m8t]

hi there Latherin !
i assume you have a good Firewall in place.
if not, download Sygate Personal Firewall Pro
from KazAa-Lite
regards
m8t

[oldjagman]

You're Blatherin' Latherin!

If you've got here then 90% of what you need to get started is in the FAQs.

If you've got Kazaa you can search and, as a wise man once said, seek and ye shall find!

Or are you from the movie and music industry and trying to sucker us into some kind of admission.

I'm suspicious because your use of English is too good for a moron and you'd need to be that low on the ecological scale no to be able to work most of it out for yourself.

I can help in one respect - forget the scare stories!

Your PC will not self-destruct in 5 seconds and, if you have good and uptodate virus protection, you are unlikely to get infected.

One other tip - if you've got some good music that you think is rare or obscure then stick in a folder on you hard disk and share that folder - the fileshare world will love you.

I'm off now for a bowl of porridge and my Andy Williams grooves!