 | By Mark Joseph Edwards New file-sharing sites are springing up faster than campaign promises, but which one is the best for your needs? The answer depends largely on how much disk space and bandwidth you require, as well as which special features you find most important in the six services I tested. |
File-sharing sites make mega-uploads a breeze
There’s nothing new about file-sharing services. Among the increasingly crowded field are a few mainstays that have been around for years. There are also a few shining stars, though as you might suspect, no two services offer the same set of features. That can make it difficult to find the one that best meets your needs.
For example, you might use a file-sharing service to distribute software that you’ve developed or to share your photographs or audio and video recordings. Any file that would tax your own system to disseminate is a good candidate to drop onto a file-sharing site.
Just to be clear, these file-sharing sites are not synonymous with peer-to-peer networks. You use file-sharing services just as you would any other Web service: via your browser. You don’t need any additional software to upload and download the files, unlike BitTorrent and other peer-to-peer systems.
Although you might consider using the tested file-sharing sites for remote backup, the services are not really intended for that purpose. For one thing, your uploaded files might wind up in search results, because search engines often index these services’ download pages. You may or may not want your files to be discoverable, so keep this in mind when considering what to upload.
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