I've heard various features of various operating systems called all sorts of things (mostly obscene), but I've never heard of the My Network tool being called a "thingy" before. I learn something new every day.
I concur with fulmer's statements. Mac OS is generally more flexible and almost always more secure than Windows. In this case, you're running into that security. Until OS 10.2 you had to work hard to make your computer show up on a heterogeneous network (one with Macs, Wintels, Linux, etc. on the same network), loading various Samba-like tools to make the native networking talk to other networking systems. That kept peeping toms to a minimum, and meant that all someone could get (usually) from a network sweep was that a certain IP was in use. 10.2 comes with those Samba features built in and (if I'm not mistaken) active by default. Not always a good idea, but as long as you know that your front door isn't locked, you can decide for yourself what to do about it.
One note about what you're missing out on, though. Your classmates may have all these neat files on their computers, but you (and they) almost certainly don't have legal permission to copy them. A lot of schools are cracking down on casual piracy, some pretty harshly. I've heard of one Midwestern school that dismissed a junior for mining the computers on the campus network, then selling the files-also on the campus network. Expelled, no refunds, never come back, and a federal criminal investigation on his record. Some fun, huh?
Collaborating with your fellows on class work, figuring out how to sneak into the natatorium with five of your closest girl friends, determining what doors on the freshman dorms aren't alarmed, that's all just good, clean collegiate fun. But copyrights are getting a lot of attention in some pretty odd circles, so watch your step. Ok, I've stepped off the soapbox with my hands in plain sight...go about your lives, citizens.
I concur with fulmer's statements. Mac OS is generally more flexible and almost always more secure than Windows. In this case, you're running into that security. Until OS 10.2 you had to work hard to make your computer show up on a heterogeneous network (one with Macs, Wintels, Linux, etc. on the same network), loading various Samba-like tools to make the native networking talk to other networking systems. That kept peeping toms to a minimum, and meant that all someone could get (usually) from a network sweep was that a certain IP was in use. 10.2 comes with those Samba features built in and (if I'm not mistaken) active by default. Not always a good idea, but as long as you know that your front door isn't locked, you can decide for yourself what to do about it.
One note about what you're missing out on, though. Your classmates may have all these neat files on their computers, but you (and they) almost certainly don't have legal permission to copy them. A lot of schools are cracking down on casual piracy, some pretty harshly. I've heard of one Midwestern school that dismissed a junior for mining the computers on the campus network, then selling the files-also on the campus network. Expelled, no refunds, never come back, and a federal criminal investigation on his record. Some fun, huh?
Collaborating with your fellows on class work, figuring out how to sneak into the natatorium with five of your closest girl friends, determining what doors on the freshman dorms aren't alarmed, that's all just good, clean collegiate fun. But copyrights are getting a lot of attention in some pretty odd circles, so watch your step. Ok, I've stepped off the soapbox with my hands in plain sight...go about your lives, citizens.