by Anja Emerson

Created on: February 05, 2010

With the constant increase of the capacity of computer data storage and Internet connection speeds, file sharing has become a worldwide trend. Users can now share more material, at higher speeds, with more people than ever before. The methods of file sharing have become more efficient and diverse, amongst which Rapidshare and torrents are currently reigning.

Rapidshare is one of the world’s most popular one-click hosting websites. One of its strongest points is its simplicity of use: virtually anyone can upload files and share them with others, by simply choosing the file, waiting for the upload to be completed and then giving out the link to people. On free accounts, files are stored for up to 90 days, whereas on premium accounts, they are stored forever or until the account is closed. From the perspective of the downloader, free accounts are quite limited: users must wait before downloading a file and between downloads. However, the premium service offers many benefits at a reasonable price: a large daily download quota, high speeds and no waiting times.

Torrents are small, single files that are used in peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers. They work in a unique way: whereas regular files downloaded off the web come from a single source (the server), in a steady stream of packets, torrents point towards many sources in the P2P network. Data packets are downloaded and uploaded at the same time, thus making the transfer process faster for all the users in the network. This provides the advantage of speed and convenience; however, it also means that downloads depend on availability from other sources and the upload speeds of others in the P2P network. Though torrents are essentially not difficult to use, they can be confusing for novices and usually require some background knowledge of how the protocol works. Using bit torrent also requires using a client, such as BitComet, uTorrent or Vuze. Downloading using bit torrent is unlimited and there are no fees required to use the protocol.

Rapidshare and torrents effectively serve the same need for sharing files, but in different ways. Each file sharing method has its upsides and downsides and the right choice is always the one that best fits the needs of the user.

While Rapidshare may prove a better alternative for novices, torrents are frequently preferred by more advanced users. Torrents are more appropriate when files need to be shared with a large group of people at the same time. However, when sharing with just a few individuals, Rapidshare is the better option. In terms of security, files hosted on Rapidshare are far more reliable for download; the P2P network is known to help spread viruses and trojans on more than one occasion. Last, but not least, the bit torrent protocol is free of charge, whereas Rapidshare premium accounts require a monthly fee.

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