NeoModus Direct Connect


NeoModus Direct Connect was a file-sharing client for Windows and Mac users that provided file-sharing capabilities for any type of file within a hub-centric, peer-to-peer network and contained adware.

History

NeoModus was founded in November, 1999 by a high school student named Jonathan Hess.
NeoModus operated between 2000 and 2005. Along with Napster, it was part of the first wave of peer-to-peer software. It was principally managed and developed by Jon Hess. At its peak, it shared 15 petabytes of information with 300,000 simultaneous users, and had triple the data of Kazaa, Morpheus, and Grokster combined.

Software

NeoModus Direct Connect was a community-driven type of network and client. Chat capabilities were a central part of the client, and the users of the client exerted a direct management of the network and the files they shared. Users often created smaller, specialized hubs catering to particular user groups or types of files, and these hubs were generally much smaller than other types of file-sharing networks. The hubs, at first, generally ranged from 0 - 300 users, but later on hubs with 2000 users were not uncommon.
NeoModus Direct Connect inspired the creation of open-source versions of the client, such as Open Direct Connect and later DC++. DC++ itself has several specialized spin-off open-source versions as well, such as BCDC++ and StrongDC++, which are refined with features particular to user groups, such as filters, language packs, and search capabilities.