The Future of Transfers/Downloads?

We know that there has been dramatic issues about downloading in the past several months. File Hosts have changed their policies and service, as well as deleting uploaded content more quickly. Some of these are responses to bills such as SOPA, CISPA, PIPA, etc. Mountain Lion is making it where you can only install software via the App Store. Even internet companies are changing their policies. This may not only affect the USA, but also other countries in the future.

If the internet becomes a much more dangerous place to download from, what do you think would change?
If you can no longer get things freely on the internet, do you think there would be underground data-trading groups? If your IP never changes, how would that effect the internet, and people downloading? Would some people simply stop using the internet? What would happen to P2P or IRC?

Ignoring the worst-case scenario above, what do you think people would settle with? That is, when will the majority of people be satisfied enough for this to not be an issue?

Lastly, what do you think would be the penalties if/when they find a large number of people downloading? They usually can't afford the cost, Jail helps no one, and there's too many people to deal with.

Despite all these issues you are addressing it mostly comes down to those who make the rules and those who pass judgement upon the rules.

People may take action, but it depends if those 'in power' are willing to listen.

Not much would change I presume if worse comes to worse. I believe it'll be like before when the internet first came about. Back then, downloading anything was nearly impossible due to dial-up. It was just a place to look up information for the most part.

There were already 'underground trading groups' I suppose before direct downloading and torrents existed. We might resort to that once again. Who knows~

Depending which Internet Provider it is and its policies, it may affect those who download or not. I have not much knowledge about that. Therefore, I'll leave it open.

No one would stop using the internet. They would use it with caution or do other things as they usual do.

P2P and IRC would still exist. They are reliable and are still good to use to download. Can't imagine people not using them if they can't direct download or want something an alternative.

It won't be an issue... Very hard to tell since some want it 'this' way and others want it 'that' way. Most downloaders or those who use the internet for their enjoyment/personal use would find common ground with those who do the same. In the end, it depends on how to reach compromise or 'make almost everyone happy' by addressing the government and its lawmakers.

Pertaining to penalties, like you mentioned... it is not something that can be done in one day and just arrest people. I thought there are some policies that are in planning or in consideration when people 'do things on the internet' and 'how they would be dealt'. Read it somewhere not sure which site though.

Overall, people may rise up and take action. People might vote and change the politicians and other political figures in office. No real win-win situation, but it's still worth contemplating.

I made this thread to think of the possibilities and not be shocked if/when a major change happens.
And yea.. some people might go back to the first generation of (hackers?) where they talked via tapping telephone polls.
The punishments I've heard of so far is simply limiting your internet service, or even suspending it. The only way they'd take it further, is if the court ordered it or something.

Honestly the issue is pretty simple and the keyword is adaption, the problem is that the owners of the big industries are uncapable of understand that, and if they don't have the will, eventually they will die.
In the middle age the people thought that dragons were real and also in the existence of people that were able to invoke creatures from other dimensions to destroy other kingdoms and then rule the world, but now we know that is silly just think in that as a absolute true.

Honestly i don't want talk to much about it but, even in the worst possible scenario people are gonna find a way to exchange digital content and the P2P is gonna prevail even in those dark days.

Sorry for no follow the structure of the post.

Naa I agree. Whether or not we make progress in this generation, old ppl will die and someone else will replace them. It's been the same for ages with people who help onto old things. The important thing here is to not worry or be surprised about what happens.

More people download from free space website. it is good for its companies. that means companies can earn more income from the commercial. it is good for them as well as for free downloader.

In a past several years, FTP /P2P is a main way for downloading. I think lots of people have been tried it. But it is not a good way for now, many free storage spaces on internet make sharing become fixable. When uploaded on the internet, uploader shared it freely in difference forums. Don't worry for the flow of capacities.

I hope the free storage companies on internet will in growing unless there are now way.

I don't know the future of downloads and what not but there been some talks between various people some people have already resorted to different things that I won't mention. If it does become restrictive, they still have to deal with bootlegged goods entering in the country and selling for their own profits. If not, they'll forever discriminate Valve ideas for making a business to sell their game products online. Microsoft has taken a path to get a slice of their profit by implementing a that some of their newer games released under their name to use their resources for profit. Right now, it hasn't gone into effect just to yet. But only time can tell.

Honestly speaking, it would be fairly difficult for people to deal with big companies still wanting to be a middle man for everything and make profit in still traditional means that is based on bricks and mortars and staggering the releases to customers discontent. If they chose to keep up with the times, perhaps they can make a sizable profit instead of spending money on court cases to cry on losses that they probably most likely not going to get. Right now, the climate is not healthy enough to have people earn a disposal income that they're drooling on. Not in my eyes at least.

The internet is the last place on the planet that is truely unregulated, and where anyone could remain unknown if they so wanted to be. The corperations want to regulate the internet because everything is free there, there's no profit to be made in any of it. True, some copyrights need to be enforced...but I think regulating the internet would mean the end of everything. I also think at the same time that it's now impossible to keep the entire internet under watch or control.

Blahs regulation... i doubt people are going to allow them to :/ Internet doesnt belong to any single country so countries shouldnt be allowed to just create rules for it... Especially those rich people twisting the rules to create more profits for themselves...

Much like the rise and fall of the great tentacle shrines at the hands of "the man" and his shiny swords, the internet is being cracked down upon and more tightly controlled by men in suits.

Its like the dawn of the 1700's for the internet, with the golden age of the 1600's fading away in the back drop.

The real change will eventually be done by the hardware, as the casual mass market continues to switch to tablets and companies like MS change/regulate how the end user will access new content.

Much like my fellow tentacles, the non-casual market will have to be a little more sneaky, a little more indirect to survive in the modern age of "the mans internet". Slurp!

^ this is not far from the truth. Most of the general public is not told what decisions are being made in secret, since such information would cause a major uproar as it has in the past of US history. The majority of internet-related services are now becoming more serious about following the DMCA. I believe that these people may be trying to make it where a new law to censor the internet is rendered useless, which is a good thing really. Regardless, as I've said, new methods and ideas will spread as the issue presses on. It may be possible that there is a group wanting persistent downloaders to be in a corner easier to find, while the others are blotted out, via hardware changes and support. By limiting one method after another, they will have created a self-serving system where they can easily find "offenders."

On another note: I want to present an interesting website I found: https://freenetproject.org/ I've never heard of anything like this before, other than TOR which I heard is a failure. A place like freenet gives some interesting ideas. What if people used direct connections for torrents? Meaning, there is nothing public in the connection. I'm certain that powerful companies have the tools already to get around this, but they probably would not waste time unless it was a serious reason.

Another idea: What if something like the DMCA was globally accepted and practiced? There are plenty of popular file sharing websites and hosts that will have the same issues as well with copyrights. If people want to be anonymous by default, there will be tight rules that will be enforced.

im allready seeing the chance in my university... 2-3 years ago most of the people were downloading illegal from the internet but now a lot of them have stopped to do this.... and this is exactly what i think will happen the real core of the people who download illegal will continue to do it and wont rly get caught because i dont rly think that the goverment will rly completly control the internet ... so in the end the community will get smaller but u will still find everything u want
but how the download will happen in the near future ... i dont know could still be filehosters or something with the coming cloudservices

just my opinion^^

I really wish that downloads and uploads worked like torrents~ no worries when my internet drops XD

If DMCA was still accepted then people would riot ;p Theres an obvious hatred for it and if the government is trying to use it anyway then theyre not working for the people anymore~

I'd like to hear some ideas about what new methods of file transfers would be secure, more hidden, and accessible to a select group of people.

The rough idea I have that could work for backups is:
encrypt files using TrueCrypt
Backup those files to http://www.bitcasa.com/ (not to use as DL host)

For sharing, there are the current methods, but with a twist.
1. have all content available for specific members of a group.
2. Passwords for each rar truecrypted file is unique. There is a password for the rar, and the truecrypt.
3. File names are not indexed for search engines to easily find. Instead, the names are abbreviated and hidden for the group.
4. File sizes are limited to a certain size, and renamed to not indicate partitioned rars.
5. Uploaded to major and minor file hosts. Torrents would not be made unless they are private. (idk what that means)


I already know there are a few downfalls with this idea. The first is that regardless of how tight the security, it's still available to anyone. The second is that there will not be as many people able to find the site, let alone enter without some kind of permission. Who knows if restrictions can actually prevent agents from seeing any content.
And last is the uncontrollably of people re-uploading stuff.


Either way, privacy and security are closely related. We may even be limited one day to download directly from a certain program because of the OS.

I'm really not worried about the future of file sharing at all. Within hours of one host being shut down, a dozen more pop up. It is not a battle which the government or corporations can ever hope to win with their current tactics.

Even if we put aside all forms of HTTP and Peer-To-Peer file sharing, we are still left with Usenet (which more people should be using) and this service is almost impossible to control.

Regretfully, the term "download" has become a negative action.
I fear that within next several years, heavier restrictions and securities will be established and installed over internet (though it's been around for awhile...); inevitably, every "downloads" may be monitored and tracked or simply dissolved by the hammer of justice(?).
However, I do notice many sites providing downloads by fees. (Basically, it is same as buying over internet.) I believe Youtub actually has this feature.

Anyways, the point is that as long as internet exists, downloads, as in every forms, would continue...Just in a sense where it is much more annoying...

"Would some people simply stop using the internet?"

That's what they want to achieve... For people to stop using it... But there will always be a new technology... And I think they are smart enough not to do something like that in our country... It would literally mean war against goverment and I dont think they want another one...

Hmm internet is too fun to just stop using ;p

Well there are many, many people who only use it to download stuff and would just stop using it... I know cause my friends are like that, as soon as I told em about censorship they said that they will just stop using internet

Let's just all go back to ol' 90s, before Windows!!

(I remember using those big PCs, just a huge monitor and a mouse. Forgot the name of that big computerified box.)

Windows was first released in the mid-80s. ._.

Shoot, I can't find that thread I made before. Might as well re-post.

  Spoiler: Why the long face? 

http://puu.sh/ehXS