After reading these articles I felt I understood less of what P2P is then before Shirky tried to explain it. Consequently, I don’t have any critical questions accompanied by my own answers, just two questions I would like to be answered.

What are DNS systems exactly?

Shirky writes: ‘(…) Intel’s “server peer-to-peer” is not P2P, because servers have always been peers. Their fixed IP adrdresses and permanent connections present no new problems, and calling what they already do “peer-to-peer” presents no new solutions.’ This statement is completely unclear to me. Does something have to present new problems and solutions to be P2P?

A Plague of Viruses: Biological, Computer and Marketing – J. Boase and B. Wellman (2001)

Although their analogy between biological and computer viruses works quite well I disagree with them that viral marketing can be put in the same category. There are simply too many differences between the former two and the latter. Viral marketing might spread similarly to other viruses and therefore its name is justified but unlike biological and computer viruses there is no prevention – unless you are a complete hermit – and it is not necessarily an unwelcome thing. I refuse to believe spreading disease or destruction can be compared to spreading fashions.

It’s a little unclear to me how free sites can disappear which Boase and Wellman claim is an economic consequence from viral marketing.