RapidShare

Early hosting service

RapidShare was a file-hosting service that allowed users to upload and share large files via download links, popular in the 2000s for distributing movies, music, and software—often pirated.

The site became synonymous with an era of one-click hosting before cloud storage went mainstream.

It shut down in 2015 after years of legal pressure and declining relevance.

platform

filesharing

Distributing digital content online

cyberlockerOnline file storage service
downloadRemote-to-local data transfer
uploadTransfer data outward

hosting · storage · Megaupload · premium · account · server · bandwidth · cloud · service · website

piracy

warez

Illegally distributed programs

copyrightExclusive reproduction rights
infringementViolation of rights
DMCADigital copyright protection law

takedown · illegal · torrents · movies · music · software · cracked · keygen · scene · release

usage

cooldown

Gradual intensity reduction

mirrorReflective viewing surface
reuploadTransfer file again
RARCompressed file format

password · extraction · queue · resume · expired · countdown

era

2000s

First decade, 2000s

dial-upPhone-line internet connection
broadbandFast internet access
forumsVenues for collective discourse

IRC · Usenet · P2P · Napster · megabytes · gigabytes · nostalgia

Opposites

file distribution architecture

RapidShareBitTorrent

Decentralized file-sharing system

peer-to-peer · P2P · LimeWire · Kazaa · The Pirate Bay

content legality/licensing model

RapidShareiTunes

Apple's media organizer

Spotify · Netflix · Amazon Prime Video · Steam · Hulu

service longevity/status

RapidShareDropbox

Cloud-based file hosting

Google Drive · OneDrive · WeTransfer · MEGA

Family

rapid, rapidly, rapidity, rapids, share, shares, shared, sharing, sharer

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Concrete · Rated G