I can create files containing random content with exceptional ease. Maybe take me 3 to 4 minutes (excluding processing time).

You didn't read my post properly; What does Bob do since he is sharing his Thomas Tallis files? Each one of which is useful to another Thomas Tallis fan but since there are few and far between, according to your rules of tenure, he gets hammered.

How fair is that?

Your idea assumes that everyone has the same taste in music etc. Well, I've got some news for you, they don't. What right have you or anyone got to define what is useful? Personally I shy away from Britany Spears like she's the plague. I would personally class any Britany MP3's as totally useless to me. Useful to me are works by Gyogy Ligeti or Aram Khachaturian. However, the number of people sharing these files will be monumentally small. They are however just as useful to the right person.

Please explain how people sharing not so popular but just as valid files would not be penalized? I share about 2GB of files, nearly every single one somewhat obscure classical pieces. Since they are 'off the beaten track', in the last two months of running 24/7 I have received less than 20 upload requests. This I find quite normal and not worrying. I feel that I am contributing just as much as anyone else. Surely, if I were to abide by your rules, I would be forced to download and share loads of 'popular' songs just to be given bandwidth that I feel I have already earned.

I said it before & I'll say it again. Your idea just won't work, no matter how you look at it. I'm sorry if my response sounds harsh, but I don't like the idea of being made a 2nd class citizen because I personally am not sharing 2GB of what I class as mindless pap that the masses want.

Rachel