Newbie README: Privacy on Gnutella
 

You have some limited privacy on Gnutella, so here's some advice from all of us on simple ways to protect yourself.

* Don't run a Gnutella client that isn't open source. Just don't do it! (read more threads here about encrypted packets and spyware)

* Make sure you set the directory that you want to share files from, don't just leave that setting "blank". Even if you have nothing in the directory, that is better.

* Your IP address can be logged at any time, so don't do anything you will regret later.

* Outgoing search packets do NOT contain your IP address, the results come back to you via the network without your IP needed. So you have a bit of privacy there.

* Everyone gets your IP address when you share files out to the network. It's needed for them to request a file.

* If you want better privacy, go read about "freenet".

* People don't worry about getting busted by the RIAA because too many people are sharing mp3's and it would take a big lawsuit to get them all (see more threads for info on all this).

* Search for "bearshare" and find files like "brianna d kingsly@bearshare[1].txt", a personal cookie file that should not be there. Note the returns you will get are only from bearshare clients. Your full name may be attached to your IP this way. This sort of thing is why you should be worried about closed source clients and your privacy.

* Sign up for a free ISP like bluelight or dotnow. You will have to put up with the ad banners, but you can be a little more private depending on what info you gave them to sign up that is.

* Draw little black boxes across the eyes of any nude pictures of yourself you are posting for upload. (just joking, it's a joke!!!)

Please try to run your client 24/7 when possible and share whatever you download back to the network (completed downloads that is), thanks!

(please add to this list and bump this message to the top every once and a while, thanks)