Upload Large Files

Big is in. Video, audio, pictures—they all take up lots of space, particularly as quality increases. Up until now, it’s been a huge problem sharing these resources with friends, family and business associates. But now, there’s a solution. Any number of file sharing sites have sprung up over the last year. These sites allow you to upload and share files in the tens and hundreds of megabytes.

Most of these sites are funded by ad revenue (although some better-quality fee-based websites are making inroads). Unlike providers that offer for-fee online disk-space, services like ShareBigFile.com and YouSendit.com provide strictly temporary solutions. Links (and the online files they point to) expire after a few days. You send the link, your recipient must download the file within the given time limit. Other limits include file size (250 megabytes is a common upper limit) and concurrent downloads (many sites allow only one download at a time to save bandwidth).

Be aware that your files will not be “secure”. Anyone who finds a copy of the download link can grab a copy of your uploaded data. If you need to transfer information securely, consider sending a CD or data DVD by express mail or courier. Also, make sure to follow copyright law. Most of the terms of service expressly forbid illegal transfer of copyright material.

YouSendIt
File Sharing Overview

Die Dulci Fruere