Peer-To-Peer File Sharing Etiquette

Peer-to-peer file-sharing utilities such as Kazaa and Morpheus may seem like harmless fun, but they can easily create a tremendous strain on the Wellesley College network, interfering with other users' ability to connect to file servers, FirstClass, and the Internet for academic and administrative purposes. Installing a file-sharing utility on your computer not only enables you to download files from other computers across the Internet, but also sets up your computer as a server from which people all over the world can download files. Many file-sharing utilities also receive a continuous stream of advertisements whenever they are open, degrading your computer's performance and monopolizing additional network bandwidth.

In addition to the drain they place on network resources, peer-to-peer file-sharing utilities can also pose a hazard to your privacy and to the security of files on your computer. Most file-sharing utilities come bundled with "adware" and "spyware" applications, which allow third parties to monitor your Internet usage and send advertisements to your computer even when you are not using your file-sharing program. Many files available for download are infected with computer viruses, and some viruses are designed specifically to spread through Kazaa and other peer-to-peer networks.

Sharing copyrighted files may be grounds for enforcement action by copyright owners under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act; copyright infringement is also a violation of the Wellesley College Copyright Policy and Policy for Use of Computing Resources.

If you are using an institutionally owned computer and are employed by the College, installing file-sharing utilities could jeopardize the security of institutionally owned data. Because of the potential harm to and misuse of institutional computing resources, Information Services does not recommend installing file-sharing or P2P software. Even for student-owned or personally owned computers Information Services does not recommend installing file-sharing or P2P software.

If you must use a peer-to-peer file-sharing utility, to minimize network traffic and protect your computer, please:

• disable the server function of your file-sharing utility.
• configure bandwidth settings as low as possible.
• download only one file at a time.
• limit downloads to periods of low network usage (early mornings, Saturdays, and Sundays).
• exit your file-sharing utility whenever you are not actively using it.
• make sure your file-sharing utility does not automatically launch when you start up your computer.
• remove all advertising ("Adware") and monitoring ("Spyware") programs installed with your file-sharing utility.
• use the Wellesley College licensed Ad-aware software to remove software and advertising that may have been bundled with your P2P programs.
• consider open-source file-sharing utilities (since writers of open-source software do not profit financially from their creations, open-source software is less likely to be bundled with Adware and Spyware).

Safety, etiquette, and removal tips are available for some programs further down this page.

Please be aware that if your use of a file-sharing utility impedes network performance or interferes with other users' access to the network, your network drop may be blocked until the problem can be corrected. If you have questions or would like help configuring your file-sharing utility to minimize its impact on the network, students should fill out the Student Computing Help Form. Faculty or Staff should call the Computing HelpDesk at x3333.

For more information on protecting the Wellesley College community and minimizing damage caused by comprimised computers, please visit Information Services' Securing Your Computer page.

Safety, Etiquette, and Removal Tips