P2P networks--especially the open-standard ones--should rely as much as possible on the network rather than the client to provide fairness and efifciency, because someone will inevitably write a malicious client--in this case, one that doesn't upload its shared files list.

For that matter, the upload preference given to hosts who share at least a certain number of files is also suspicious: a malicious host can lie about the number; and if his shared files list is checked for verification, then he can share lots of useless files; and if file usefulness is a criterion, then he can say he has useful files that he doesn't.

Personally, I would like the option to not upload my shared files list. There's no guarantee that a host's files will be in any way related, and people may not want everyone to know some of the things they're into, if the other host isn't also into it himself (and hence downloading one of the pertinent files). And as far as anyone knows, the rìaa likely checks shared-files lists to decide whom to sue.

I am aware that my proposal would not hide shared files altogether, and of the resulting risk of a false sense of security. But that just means more user education is called for.

I am disturbed by stief's particular brand of laziness: think of the time it would take him to rename his files, versus the time and bandwidth that any number of users are spending, only to (say) download DCF-1234.JPG, only to decide it's not what they wanted.