Filesharing Has Just Been Banned

[Sparkle1984]

Yes, filesharing has finally been banned on my university campus. Luckily I live at home, so it doesn't affect me, but here's the email that was sent out to all students today:

>
>
>
>
>It has been agreed that there is to be a ban on all peer to peer (P2P) file
>sharing on campus, except where there is academic need. P2P is generally
>used for the redistribution of illegal copies of audio, video and software
>files. The ban is being imposed for four reasons:
>
>1. To reduce the stress on the network, especially the connection to JANET
>(the academic network), which P2P traffic causes.
>2. To reduce the rate of introduction of viruses as many files on the P2P
>systems are infected.
>3. To protect the University from any possible accusations of supporting
>the breech of the Copyright and Patents act 1988.
>4. To ensure that we are using the network for the purposes defined within
>the 'conditions of use' we agree to, as a University, for our connection to
>JANET.
>
>The exact wording of the changes of terms and conditions is still being
>worked through to reflect the four goals above while respecting the rights
>of the individual and we request that all staff stop using these kinds of
>software immediately. This ban covers all the following: Kazaa, eMule
>eDonkey, Limewire, Gnutella, BitTorrent and similar.
>
>If you are in any doubt about your use please ensure you have discussed it
>with your Dean or Head of Unit. If there are any questions of clarification
>on what is and is not covered by this ban please send your question to
>[email address censored by Sparkle]
>
>It is clear that most users of these software applications will understand
>both the spirit of the ban and the profile of their own use, and we ask them
>stop immediately.
>Prior to the formal changes of terms and conditions, any P2P activity
>identified on the network will be brought to the attention of the Dean or
>Head of Unit for action. The full proposal for a change of the terms and
>conditions will follow shortly.

As I said it won't affect me, but it will affect a lot of people who live in campus residences, and also people who bring their own laptops onto the campus common-rooms (I don't have one, but I know some people who do, and they often used plug it in to the network to sit in the common room all day on K-Lite, and if a teacher walked in they would quickly pretend they were working).

[TRshady]

So from what your saying .....

Its a good decision by the university then ..........

[4th gen]

Newsgroups and IRC aren't mentioned there...tell the students to get educated

[Sparkle1984]

Originally posted by TRshady@24 March 2004 - 20:50
So from what your saying .....

Its a good decision by the university then ..........

No no, I didn't mean it like that.
But most of the students on campus didn't actually share any files anyway - most of them who I saw in the common room were leeches, as I could see nothing in the upload half of their screen. So the filesharing networks won't miss these people.

But I do think it is a sad day for freedom of expression on the internet, and I don't think the university was right to ban it completely, as I have found many educational resources on K-Lite.

[TRshady]

lol, I understood what you meant ...
I agree with you on that its a sad thing to happen .. though there are others ways to share files ... hand them the note from 4th gen.