I've got a fever, and the only prescription...is more aXXo

It has never been easier to remotely share digital data. We have come a long way from the days of FTP-run central servers, transfers coordinated through messenger software, and peer to peer file sharing applications like Napster and WinMX. The BitTorrent protocol (BTP) is the new standard, as it has masterfully outperformed all other protocols. Instead of facilitating a transfer of data between two users, the BTP works to allow all users possessing the same file to share parts of the file with those who wish to obtain it. One can download many small parts of a file from many different users at the same time.

While this latest protocol has exhibited lofty new standards of efficiency and security, it is not without flaws. Because the files are not regulated (seeing as how the very existence of most torrents constitutes a violation of intellectual property laws) one can never be sure of a file's true content until it has been completely downloaded, thereby exposing one to a plethora of malicious attacks. It is this climate, a climate (both humorously and seriously) comparable to that of the illegal drug trade, that has produced the need for a reliable source of digital files, just as a drug addict would hope to find a reliable source of "safe" drugs (in both cases, you want to be sure that the product is what the vendor says it is).

As the article describes, aXXo's files are the gold-standard of the torrent world. His emergence is an interesting product of the new online behaviors dictated by advances in file-sharing tech. Just as aXXo's emergence was a result of a demand for his services (an uploader who consistently provides reliable, quality files), his emergence set off other behaviors.

Let's examine Mininova's dedicated aXXo page. It lists only those torrents uploaded by the user registered on the Mininova website as "aXXo". Therefore, the uploader of these files, needing aXXo's password to access his account, is mostly likely the real guy (or guys. or girls, for that matter). It is safe to assume, then, that all of these files are safe and of good quality, because they were almost positively uploaded by the real aXXo, not some imitator harboring bad intentions.

Next, examine the Mininova search results for the query "axxo". There are two important points to consider regarding evolved online behaviors.

1. Those files ending with the familiar "-aXXo" may not be genuine aXXo files, because anyone can affix that text to the end of a file name. This is an obvious hole in Mininova's search infrastructure, but they have remedied the problem by creating the dedicated aXXo page mentioned above.
2. Now notice the other files from the search results. Many end with the notation "KLAXXON". This is an instance of a user taking advantage of the public furor for aXXo files. As you can see, "KLAXXON" actually contains the string "AXXO". This is not a coincidence. In wanting to increase the popularity of his torrents, the user behind the "KLAXXON" handle decided to create a handle that would be returned by the ever-popular "axxo" search query. (Also of note...this point indicates that the Mininova search engine is not case-sensitive. This, of course, is by design, and should not be considered a weakness. A case-sensitive search engine, in this environment, would be too specific.)

So that's about as nerdy (and as long) as my posts will get. But I thought this was a pretty interesting example of evolved behavior at the confluence of technology, law, and the concept of supply-and-demand.