OK, stop being control-freak nazis.

There are many things which already make gnutella a problem Lack of files is not one of them.

There are enough files.

The problem is it is too hard to find the ones you want ..

Fix this by:

1. Support reporting of bitrate, song length etc
2. Allow limiting searches based on 1 (to reduce unnecessary network traffic)

3. Prevent reporting of shared files whenever there are no upload slots
(this is currently a BIG problem I think with limeware - because in the current version if you set upload slots to 1 it is in fact read by limeware as 0!!)

4. hashes. Not swarming, which sounds very difficult to implement. If you want swarming, go to freenet ;-) I would not use a swarming client because I am on a modem connection and i only want to spend bandwidth on files I want. I share heaps, I don't want some nazi making me share stuff I couldn't care less about.

Hashes will make it so much easier to get a download to finish, because you will be able to continue a download easily from another source. Clients will be able to automatically search for alternate sources and pick up a faster/more reliable one.

5. Hashes enable what I would call swarming: ie client with enough bandwidth downloading from multiple sources different parts of the file. Implement this instead.

6. Clients should allow user to prevent uploads to freeloaders .. either based on number of files shared, or based on the existing 'did upload' or whatever. But it should definitely be optional and at the user's discretion. But don't go overboard and implement any new stuff in the protocol to achieve this. Make use of what you've got.

7. Remind users when there are still people dling if they go to shut down their client.

8. Make clients which consist of a daemon and a front-end, with the daemon always running (and sharing) - but ask the users before setting it up like that, because that can really annoy some poeple (like sysadmins).

9. Genorosity indicators suck. I don't want to be labelled as a freeloader if I'm not one. Like other people here, I share heaps, currently > 13 G, but I am on a modem so not many uploads very often. But 11G of my stuff is 'original' (ie I ripped it myself, not downloaded from gnutella). As any genuine gnutella user will tell youi, it is the hard-to-find stuff that is most valuable, not the stuff that every man and his dog has downloaded and deleted a million times.

He he - the people who will get the best generosity marks if you implement it will be those suckas with the gnutella virus! How funny - they would be treated like gods in your 'community' because they have little virus protection and less brains.

** End of list

Really the worst thing about gnutella is finding files, downloading 90% of them, then sucka at other end cuts you off and you never find that source again. Fix those issues FIRST. Then you can make it into a game, but I won't play, thanks. If I want to play a game I'll visit my broadband friends and play counterstrike. It's more satisfying.

Oh, yeah, and as a modem user I am tired of seeing this hype that ultrapeers will save me so much bandwidth.

My download bandwidth is never a problem - I will get 4-5 k a sec from a good source, most sources (even 'fast' ones) don't run more than 2-3 k/s. Limewire does use less bandwidth for connections, but I don't think it it helps the downloads. Anyway, the point is, with 5k/s available, and two sources running at 2k/s, that still leaves 1k/s for connections, which is plenty, given that the download is gonna take like 1/2hr to 1hr. I get plenty of search results over that time, and can happily upload and download at the same time. Really, stop it with the 'ultrapeers will give modem users so much more bandwidth. It's not like they're gonna come around here and plug me into cable, you know?

I think up's are great for increasing search results, but that's the primary benefit. Not bandwidth for modem users.