# I hope this question is okay,, Amount of file sharers in the us? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 27, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755 "2004-03-27T17:01:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/1 "2004-03-27T17:01:30Z")
I don’t want to talk about the morality of it. I am not asking about the legality of it. I don’t want you to tell me how to configure a client for it, I already know that anyway. Hopefully that should right this post with the forum powers that be. What I do want to know is how many people are doing it in the US? I understand this something that is something that by it’s nature does not lend it’s self to easy statistics. However has anyone did a atleast half way creditable study on the matter? One 2 litter of pepsi rides on the out come of this thread. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/2 "2004-03-27T17:05:04Z")
> [@](#): > > I understand this something that is something that by it’s nature does not lend it’s self to easy statistics. should read: I understand this is something that by it’s nature does not lend it’s self to easy statistics. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/3 "2004-03-27T17:06:58Z")
Well at the moment there are 3,400,054 users logged on to Kazaa Lite. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/4 "2004-03-27T18:32:30Z")
Don’t forget to count college intranets. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/5 "2004-03-27T19:04:45Z")
And of course, it’s a good idea to distinguish between legal file-sharing and illegal file-sharing… if only to reassure the administrators of this Board. Does it matter what tool you use to get or give the file? Do you only count peer-to-peer file-sharing, or do you also include distribution through websites and paid services? Do you distinguish by type of file? Music, video, flash, text? Mp3, ogg, divx5, avi? ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/6 "2004-03-27T19:29:08Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > And of course, it’s a good idea to distinguish between legal file-sharing and illegal file-sharing… if only to reassure the administrators of this Board. > > Does it matter what tool you use to get or give the file? Do you only count peer-to-peer file-sharing, or do you also include distribution through websites and paid services? > > Do you distinguish by type of file? Music, video, flash, text? Mp3, ogg, divx5, avi? Okay I guess I was kind of vague. I talked it over the person I have the bet with. Lets limit it to “peer to peer networks primarly used by home users that exchange mostly binary (nonascii encoded) files”. Usenet, while one on the server level p2p, should not fall under that definition. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/7 "2004-03-27T20:10:21Z")
The survey published Thursday by the nonprofit Pew Internet and American Life Project estimated that roughly 35 million American adults use file-sharing software, about 29 percent of Internet users. Those figures were generally consistent with other estimates of 60 million American users across all age groups. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/12/tech/main567910.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/12/tech/main567910.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/8 "2004-03-27T20:21:39Z")
> [@netscape 6](#): > > I don’t want you to tell me how to configure a client for it… Why would this be a problem? If I write my own music and wish to distribute it via P2P, is that not good? Just because people use them for illegal activity doesn’t mean talking about configuring a client is bad, or does the SDMB consider any talk of a P2P sharing illegal? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![netscape\_6](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8c91f0/32.png) [@netscape\_6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/netscape_6)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-hope-this-question-is-okay-amount-of-file-sharers-in-the-us/236755/9 "2004-03-27T21:16:29Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > The survey published Thursday by the nonprofit Pew Internet and American Life Project estimated that roughly 35 million American adults use file-sharing software, about 29 percent of Internet users. Those figures were generally consistent with other estimates of 60 million American users across all age groups. > > [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/12/tech/main567910.shtml](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/08/12/tech/main567910.shtml) Thanks for info that pretty much settles it. Looks like I get a 2 litter, and the satisfaction of watching my friend have a glass of crow. > [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Why would this be a problem? If I write my own music and wish to distribute it via P2P, is that not good? Just because people use them for illegal activity doesn’t mean talking about configuring a client is bad, or does the SDMB consider any talk of a P2P sharing illegal? Just wondering. I’m with you on that, I don’t think anyone could argue there is anything wrong with sharing GPL, public domain, or stuff you have ownership of. However it’s my understanding the board is afraid of getting sued. Although the more reason to write Congress.