is bittorrent safe??

[gumbo11103]

I'm kinda new to bittorrent. Is it really safe to do p2p file sharing. I mean who's to say their's not a virus in someone's file that your downloading??

[jedifunk]

well, i would HOPE that our community of phish loving people would be free from that sort of thing.

i've also never heard of any virus being spread via BT.

and... i'm on a mac, so i could care less, no one makes a virus for macs.

[jephrey]

Yeah...  me too.

Just downloading files isn't going to get you a virus.  I don't believe anything has been made yet where once a file assembles, it auto executes and starts messin things up.  In addition, it'd have to be hidden in a fileset somewhere.  If it wasn't automatic, it'd have to be disguised as an shn or flac or md5 or text file.  This is possible but if you open files with their progs instead of just double-clicking them, you'll be safer.  Always check md5s with whatever tool you use and drag text files into notepad(or open with) if you want to be extra safe.  But in reality, although there are hundreds of thousands of people that download live legal music, I have yet to hear of a virus from doing so.  Just be careful of the other things you download, the music is safe!

-Jephrey

[rowjimmy]

I'd be wary. but not worry. If you follow best practices in maintaining your system with Antivirus software, firewall, anti spyware/malware apps you should be fine. Especially if you stick to the (generally) kinder circles of live-music BT. However, given that BT traffic is now credited as making up 20-40% of all internet traffic (reports vary but here's one.) I'd expect that SOMEONE SOMEWHERE is looking to exploit it's widespread use.

As for Mac users thinking that they are safe... Don't be so sure: http://it.slashdot.org/it/05/03/22/0055237.shtml?tid=172&tid=3.

[jephrey]

I'll let everyone know when I get my first unwanted install, or virus, or anything else like that :wink:

-Jephrey

I like the revised sig Jfunk

[jedifunk]

blah blah blah, i've been using a mac for over 15 years and have yet to get a virus, spyware, or anything of the sort.

now i know its not a completely safe environment (i'd have to be stupid to think that) but being that we only hold 5% of marketshare, no one is making anything malicious on the mac.  therefore i'm 99.7% sure that i don't have to worry.

wish i could say the same for you windoze users

[gumbo11103]

Thanks!! This answered my question.