Executive Summary

Why Owen Can’t Download:
A Study on the Usability of Peer-to-Peer Software

As the Internet expands, new applications that harness its potential continue to be developed. One of the most prominent technologies has been the peer-to-peer network. In a peer-to-peer network, every node on the network is autonomous and is equivalent to every other node on the network. Unlike the client/server network, computers on a peer-to-peer network are able to connect to each other with no server relay in the middle. The utilization of a peer-to-peer network allows for an easy and efficient way to transfer and distribute information.

While the idea of a peer-to-peer network sounds promising, its adoption into the mainstream community has come with mixed results. In this analysis, we examine several specific peer-to-peer clients and the problems that have limited their potential. From potential legal issues, to suitable clients, difficulty, and overall costs of peer-to-peer networks, there are many factors that continue to affect its growth. By combining regression analysis from a sophisticated survey with our own subjective investigation, we conclusively determine how the average user feels about the software that harnesses peer-to-peer technology, and we expose the limitations of the current implementations of peer-to-peer networks.

While peer-to-peer networking may seem like an exciting new avenue of technology, current clients that support peer-to-peer have hampered its growth. The use of subjective investigation and quantitative analysis allows us to study the issues that surround peer-to-peer clients and networks. By fully understanding this usability, we can better implement the network’s potential and focus on the technology’s future.