I was sitting in my dorm room yesterday doing what all the cool college kids are doing nowadays. No, I didn’t participate in any underage alcohol consumption. I didn’t toke any illegal narcotics. Afraid I didn’t have any promiscuous sex either. That only leaves one other thing. Yes, that’s right: file sharing on DC++.

If you haven’t heard about DC++ by now, do yourself a favor, and lift yourself from underneath that rock you’ve been living under and get it.

Perhaps the single greatest thing to slap Binghamton in the face since last Sunday, when the college’s mugshot graced the covers of The New York Times Sunday sports page, DC++ has established a huge sharing network for students to share and enjoy. Everything from music to movies to documents can be attained in a ridiculously short amount of time. I’m talking songs in seconds, and full length movies in minutes!

The program requires new users to share at least 3 gigabytes of their own files which, I imagine, can be difficult for some students, especially those with a new computer who have absolutely no media files at all. Even for an experienced downloader, 3 GB is still a relatively large amount to ask from someone. That is 3,145,728 kilobytes, or 3,072 megabytes worth of memory.

Of course, the entire basis of peer-to-peer sharing depends on the notion that everyone who downloads also shares. Don’t get me wrong, a communistic idea has never worked so well in practice before. All I’m saying is that perhaps lowering the requirement will allow other students with less to give an opportunity to take part in such a campus-wide extravaganza. Offer them a slice of the American pie, if you will.

Aside from that, DC++ really is a godsend, satisfying each and every one of my possible needs and desires. Except for maybe Sour Patch Kids. Can’t get those on DC++. Allowing only on-campus students to download, Binghamton’s DC++ hub is safeguarded for all students to use, free from the hustle and bustle of viruses and trojans. Not only do programs like LimeWire not work on campus, but they are a raging cesspool for spyware. Do your computer a favor and keep it safe with DC++.

Equipped with lightening fast speed and a safe environment, the program gives one virtually no reason not to join the mass sharing. Even earning a cult following on Facebook, DC++ has definitely made on-campus living that much more bearable, especially for those who hail from New York City or Long Island where Z100 was the be-all, end-all. This sharing program has given, even a place as barren and isolated as Binghamton, some form of connection to the outside world, inevitably enriching it with just a little bit more life.