hits means the number of times a file has shown up in other hosts searches, (or something very similar)

If you are sharing a file it does not necessarily mean it will show up for all network users if they search for it.

If you give your friends your ip number they should be able to see all the files you are sharing. To do this go to the arrow beside what's new on the search page click direct connect and you will see your ip number. please note that for some users this does not always stay the same!!