I have been seeing articles on both tech and media sites trashing the RIAA and telling how universities are under attack by the RIAA. I am no expert on copyright nor do I claim to hold all the answers. What does bother me is how one sided the press seems to react to anything that might strike of a crackdown on illegal downloading. It is not really even debated that downloading music and movies without buying them is in fact illegal. I have seen DVD’s of movies that were currently in the theaters when I laid eyes on the disk. I have to admit I was a little taken back as to how that one got out but later learned that it was the relative of a Hollywood executive that had access to a movie for rating purposes.

If you’re old enough to remember the debate over eight track, reel to reel, and cassette tape that sought to outlaw the ability to record because of theft of intellectual property then you would have a bigger perception of the current debate. I personally have no love for Hollywood and the tactics that go after grandmothers who didn’t have a clue their grandchildren loaded file sharing over a weekend stay and now grandma is facing a lawsuit because Johnny downloaded Ninja Turtles or the like. There appears to be some angles to this story that don’t hit the mainstream media just like global warming and war.

The government and security industry have issued white papers on the effects of file sharing on internet security and what it means to the internet as a whole. I have yet to see a family that uses file sharing where their computer wasn’t compromised. Despite what is published as fact regarding innocent file sharing there are some concerns that don’t make the news. If Johnny installs a file sharing program can he tell Mom and Dad just what is shared on the family’s machine? Can he tell Mom and Dad why their email, history, and personal settings are easily tracked by even a mediocre hacker? Mom and Dad probably don’t know what a key logger or a hijacked host file are all about, but look at this cool game Johnny downloaded for free!

There is a dark side to file sharing and it’s bigger than ripping off Metallica or stealing food from the mouth of a famous actor’s child. When people download file sharing programs they are creating a weak link in security. Multiply this times millions and the picture gets a little more focused. There are countries that turn their head to or even blatantly support computer crime or they lack the ability, desire, or the knowledge to even attempt to curb computer crime within their borders. The truth is that more than Ward and June Cleaver are into file sharing. There are and always will be bad people involved in the internet and it will never be safe without more vigilance by the masses. Until someone finds a way to offer entertainment at reasonable prices so artists can make money, and consumers are offered safe procurement, people in my field will make a living returning a computer to safe and enjoyable condition. We will restore data, pictures, and documents so people can learn from their mistakes and enjoy a computer again.

In reality file sharing can and will damage your computer. You risk losing your privacy, identity and may be held responsible for something happening on your computer you had no knowledge of. You can become part of a bonnet, used as a server, or give out your entire identity without even being aware that anything ever took place. If your machine is used to spam others, share child porn, or compromise everyone in your address book you will find out the hard way.

The truth is if parents were made aware of the perils of file sharing the RIAA wouldn’t have near as many problems as it now seems to. Most people don’t volunteer to do something like expose their computer to the entire planet but most never know until it happens because there is no coverage of computer safety getting to the masses. There used to be a television network devoted to computer issues called TechTV. There were wonderful programs such as “Call for Help” with Leo LaPorte, a show entitled “Screen Savers” and one entitled “Cyber Safety”. I used to watch these faithfully like many others. Comcast eventually bought TechTV and now it’s the “Game Channel” that solely focuses on the gaming community. Leo and some of his friends can still be found on the web but I never understood how such a wonderful service hosted by a very well educated and talented staff could bite the dust. There are only local outlets on TV that provide computer news and training so it takes research to find one and they are few and far between. You would think that an industry that has generated trillions of dollars of revenue and is used by almost everyone that providing news and guidance to the masses would generate some kind of business model to bring back the likes of a TechTV.

There is something wrong when the masses download programs to share content whether legal or not, it trashes a family’s computer and computing experience but it doesn’t warrant coverage in the media. The RIAA and the colleges are both wrong. If it’s illegal find a way to either stop it or make it unattractive to do it and if it’s compromising the safety of all computing don’t hide it or make it seem glamorous or cool. The truth and logic are somewhere in the middle.