Peer to Peer Technology
Part 2.

What actually has happened in our scenario is that the aggregate processing power of a million PCs has amassed a supercomputer like ability to examine gene data to find a way to inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Without your help this would have been impossible because a foundation could have never afforded a supercomputer. Plus the PC time that you donated did not even inconvenience you one bit because you allowed the foundation to access you computer while you were asleep. This is perhaps the noblest usage of peer-to-peer technology.

On the flip side of the coin is the usage of peer-to-peer technology to co-opt copyrighted materials. The largely unauthorized usage of copyrighted music is the killer app that over 60 million Internet users are familiar with using Napster. Because of Napster's ability to help users swap music from their hard drives it has become the fastest growing Internet company to date.