Hey guys, a friend was asking me what's involved in a service like LimeWire? He wants to start a similar service of his own, which to me sounds really hard. I've never done this before, but he would like to know what's involved in starting something like this where people can go to a website, install a program onto their computer and share files with other users? Am I right in thinking that there is a dedicated server owned by LimeWire or another P2P that each P2P client connects to? I feel like this is something that would require lots of money to keep going. Thanks for any pointers that I can use to direct this friend in what to do. Folks, I'm afraid morality is going down the drain.

The first (and most important) requirement is a team of good lawyers to defend you when the lawsuits and piracy indictments begin pouring in. This requirement alone means that a lot of money would be needed to keep going. You can point your friend to THIS. Aside from all the above, there are already more than enough file sharing methods available. Unless your friend is some kind of genius, with knowledge of magical ways to ensure anonymity, it would be just more of the same. My advice: forget this fools errand and channel your efforts into something constructive. Please let us know if you found someone's advice to be helpful.

I completely agree with you 200%. I think it's best to get into something more constuctive. Thanks so much for your time and input, it was very helpful! Folks, I'm afraid morality is going down the drain.