Every internet user knows about peer-to-peer file sharing, especially teenagers. It is where they obtain the
latest song of their favorite artists. It is through peer-to-peer that they can download movies that they didn’t have the chance to see in the theater. Needless to say, it is not only convenient but cheaper than going out and buying a CD. Although peer-to-peer is now a popular buzzword in today’s Internet-aware generation, it is not something new.
The first peer-to-peer client was created in 1999 and within the first month of its birth, it grew in popularity. In just six years, there have been 3 generations of peer-to-peer networks. The infamous Napster was responsible for the popularity of peer-to-peer and it is the first ever global p2p networking in history. Since the demise of Napster, AOL has taken over the helm of peer-to-peer networking. It was Nullsoft, a division of AOL that published the blueprint for the second generation of peer-to-peer networking. In the dawning of the new millennium, Gnutella and the
Kazaa Media Desktop lead the third generation. Many consider the invention of peer-to-peer to be a pivotal point in the history of
Internet service.
