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What are those files on Gnutella that are my exact search term with a file suffix?
January 17, 2005 6:58 AM   RSS feed for this thread Subscribe

When searching for something in the Gnutella network (i'm using acquisition on the mac), what are those files that get returned that are my exact search terms, but with a .jpg or .wmv on the end? I've never dared download one in case it's mr goatse or something
posted by derbs to computers & internet (7 comments total)
There are bots that are hooked into gnutella that sit and listen for searches. They then return a result to an advertisement with a filename that matches the search.
posted by substrate at 7:01 AM on January 17, 2005


For example today I was searching for a track by Max Sedgley. I typed in "max sedgley", got a few good results, but the majority were

"m_a_x_s_e_d_g_l_e_y.wmv" and "max sedgley.jpg".

Are they created by a bot? What are they? And what is the benefits of returning them?
posted by derbs at 7:01 AM on January 17, 2005


wow that was quick! Thanks a lot. I might download one out of curiosity now that i know it's not going to be a gaping arse man.
posted by derbs at 7:03 AM on January 17, 2005


I've done it, I think. You'll find a drawing of an iPod and a URL. And you'll feel like your whole pirating music experience was cheapened.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:13 AM on January 17, 2005


Just for the record the tune is quite an obscure dance remix, which has only been released on 12" and i haven't got a record player! So I don't think anyone's really losing out :)
posted by derbs at 7:20 AM on January 17, 2005


I would worry more that it's some sort of executable/virus/spyware/etc. than an ad.

saw that a lot when I used to use limewire.
posted by dorian at 9:58 AM on January 17, 2005


Perhaps the jpg exploits that gdiplus vulnerability from a couple of months back, and the wmv exploits the MS DRM exploit from recently. That's what my paranoid self assumes anyway.
posted by recursive at 5:45 PM on January 17, 2005


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