[PunKeD_GuRu]

by all means, this is not telling you exactly what to do, you are in control of that, just read and take what you need.

File Hosting

These are simply companies storing files on behalf of other people. They do not share the links.

I think this means they are not breaking the law, however it's a bit of a grey area as they are helping, however the uploader is supposedly responsible.

Advantages

Speed: File hosting is a server to client download, usually with the hoster having 1Gbps+ connections.

Rewards: Some provide rewards for the amount of times the file is downloaded, so perks are given to the uploader.

3rd Party software note required: No need to install various applications, although you can it's only really to be lazy/time efficient.

No requirement's to upload: I personally have a 10Mbit connection, but only upload at 128Kbps.

Disadvantages

Your files are in control by the hoster, they can remove them, and if enough interest is gathered, the hosting company will get pressure from Media/Entertainment companies, or legal forces due to money behind it.

You have to pay, it's not alot, but it's still not free.
Although you can get free accounts such as rapidshare.

Megauploads Fall

I don't believe that their demise was purely because of the file hosting, but instead the amount of business that was going through the company that wasn't legal either.

Being hosted in the US, just ment that the legal forces at play had more power over what happens.

Fall of other Hosts

Many others follow in suit, partly because one dropping means flooding to another, the same has happened when Rapidshare dropped their reward system before, people flooded to places like Hotfile, who dropped some of their services down alittle to handle the inflood.

However, many are hosted in the US, and with SOPA etc, many are in fear, it's much easier to slip out the way while they are ahead, I don't blame them, I'd do the same, or face legal crap that's possibly bent anyway.

Rise of Hosts

Many are talking about Rapidshare and Netload, Rapidshare have been attacked legally before, and survived, however being hosted outside of the US, helps them greatly. Their downfall is the lack of a reward system for the uploads, giving them not much benefit in using them, but you can't knock their great speeds!

This can also mean the posting communities such as tehPARADOX, will have a better quality of posts, some of the long term members with high post counts, may continue, and you will find many less stop as they arn't earning money by doing it.

This also allows for smaller companies to get in the market now!

File Hosting will die, Back to Torrents/Piracy will be dead

NO.

File Hosting will not die, simply it's a stage, and piracy will evolve and adapt.

From P2P software such as Kazaa, iMesh & Limewire (many more, I know, these where just what I used).
To Torrents. It evolved another generation.

With the demand of speed, dedicated servers where introduced into private torrents.

However, with dedicated servers, why not download directly.

Over the years, File servers have been around, many large servers have been "hacked" for warez style communities, allowing people to download much faster, so Server to Client downloading of piracy isn't that new.

With the increased speeds of home internet connections, I wouldn't be suprised if "Dedicated" servers start popping up more at homes.
100Mbit (120MBit in feb) is available to me at a fairly good price. (UK, Virgin Media)

Or with the power of Cloud Computing, AWS Storage Gateway from Amazon may see some kind of up rise from these services.

What Should I DO?

This is the biggest question, what to use now.

Be patient. Although I think that Rapidshare/Netload are coming back into play, it's not definite.

Rapidshare are likely, they have been hit before and survived.

Wait a month, let the dust settle, you will know who's posting what links online and then just buy the account appropriate to you.
On tehParadox, I have seen an increase in both Netload and Rapidshare links, it makes sense this is what's going to be used.

Don't jump just yet, you may find after a month of so, legal stuff gets through and they begin to struggle.
But for the money, it's worth it to most.

Can't afford it, go back in time and continue using torrents, just think about nVPN.

Summary

Be patient, wait for the dust to settle before investing in other companies.
We may find a nice university has some developments on some kind of Server infused P2P software... =/

I personally have purchased a Rapidshare account, as it's worth it for me even if it lasted just 1 week.

tehPARADOX is not dying, although SOPA will directly effect it, something will come from the ashes, maybe tehparadox in another country. so nothing changes basically.

I am looking into the Amazon cloud services, I used Filesonic for business (legal), and so will need something not in the pirate eyes, looking at their Storage Gateway etc, I may look into doing file hosting where the downloader pays in the amount of Gig's they download, rather than the duration of an account.
If there is enough interest, I'd obviously turn it into a Rapidshare like place where the client pays per Gb
Like:

Data Transfer OUT
First 1 GB / month $0.000 per GB
Up to 10 TB / month $0.120 per GB
Next 40 TB / month $0.090 per GB
Next 100 TB / month $0.070 per GB
Next 350 TB / month $0.050 per GB
However prices maybe slightly above, to reward an uploader, however this draws attention...
Oh and Amazon are hosted in places not like rapidshare, but the US etc... hmm.

[mashomisho]

Nice, thank you

[vp10120]

SOPA/PIPA did prevent further piracy from my view, by successfully shutdown MU, rest of the storage sites are running scared and doing any mean to protect their site. Without any rewards program there won't be as many uploaders as before. But is only time things will change again.

[raymond1208]

SOPA and PIPA will never stop piracy. Megaupload is dead but more new file hosing service will rise, you'll see..
Long live for piracy =D

[PhrawzT]

Thanks for the post. I appreciate knowing more about what has been going on here in relation to the recent news, and I look forward to having this site back to it's previous glory.

[sbarlow]

Good summary

[PunKeD_GuRu]

Quote: Originally Posted by vp10120

SOPA/PIPA did prevent further piracy from my view, by successfully shutdown MU, rest of the storage sites are running scared and doing any mean to protect their site. Without any rewards program there won't be as many uploaders as before. But is only time things will change again.

It has hit piracy, didnt really prevent...
as said, rapidshare was around, been hit and is still around.

MU is down, not all sites run... just some of the weaker competition.

When I first came here, there wasn't a reward system in place for uploaders, but there was less posts, but a much higher quality.

Wait n see!

[shuvonabil]

Great post man....all this sopa/pipa thing is driving me nuts :D

[L1b3rta]

Good post PG. +rep for yous!

[mrlapa]

Good News. The filesharing sites that deny business to American IPs will stay in business. Why is it GOOD? Because we can download from them using ssh shell account. So my suggestion is to get a fast shell account outside of US

[igor.aragorn]

As for now, im just blown away with your network rates. 94 MB/s... Man, thats fast. I dont think we have such speeds in Brazil.

But nice post, thanks.

[PunKeD_GuRu]

Quote: Originally Posted by igor.aragorn

As for now, im just blown away with your network rates. 94 MB/s... Man, thats fast. I dont think we have such speeds in Brazil.

But nice post, thanks.

Ha, the 94mb was my old dedicated server...
I havn't updated it for awhile, now I share a 1Gbit dedi server =)
Wish the line was to my house thou, im "only" a 10MBit.

[chunghanin]

Thanks for info

[Gerson1989]

great post !