[Poindexter]

OK, y'know how your comm can constantly broadcast your SIN and licenses, right?
Can it be set to broadcast other things to just anyone who feels like looking? Song downloads, announcements, things like that?

[DeathStrobe]

Yes actually. SR4 described that people would broadcast their own music, so if you were tired of what you were currently listening to you could tune in to someone else's PAN and hear to what they had.

[Namikaze]

I'd say sure why not?  Kind of like picking up someone's Spotify list.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Unless one is running silent or have protected ones files, file icons are by definition always broadcasting, and freely available for most people to investigate.

Now, it does require a mark to copy a file (Edit File), so regular commlink users can't steal your files unless you give them access, but the book seems to indicate that pretty much everyone runs around with their files fully public. That's the gist I'm getting, at least.

[Reaver]

Unless one is running silent or have protected ones files, file icons are by definition always broadcasting, and freely available for most people to investigate.

Now, it does require a mark to copy a file (Edit File), so regular commlink users can't steal your files unless you give them access, but the book seems to indicate that pretty much everyone runs around with their files fully public. That's the gist I'm getting, at least.

I get that felling too, but imagine it's a little more complicated then that. I Imagine you have both public (and openly broadcast) files/folders, and then hidden (private) files and folders. A Commlink is an essential part of life in the 6th world. It's an address book, phone, vid player, wallet, and key card in one. Some of that info you just don't want to be broadcasting at any time.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Seems to me that's what file protection is for, Reaver. It doesn't seem like the rules allow you to run a single file icon silently, and I can't imagine you'd want to even to begin with given the lack of a sleaze attribute. File protection therefore is what I'd guess most people would use for the stuff they don't want others to access.

Keep in min that deckers are the only people capable of illegally getting marks on files, so for all intents and purposes most people's files are likely relatively safe from malicious attackers.

[Poindexter]

Say there's a file I want to just sorta "send" to as many random people as possible.
Can I do that without just punching random commcodes into my link?
Would punching random commcodes even work?

[Sendaz]

Depends.

What kind of file would you be trying to pass along?

I imagine people would have their filters set to receive some things easily while screening other items so as to not be overran by spam or immediately hit by a virus download.

So I guess it might depend on what they see when it comes across to them...

[Kincaid]

Say there's a file I want to just sorta "send" to as many random people as possible.
Can I do that without just punching random commcodes into my link?
Would punching random commcodes even work?

You know those annoying guys who are always trying to hand you fliers on the street?  This is how they do it in 2075.  Filters probably weed out the worst of it, but just like in 2015, it's an ongoing battle between spam and filters.

[Namikaze]

I agree with Kincaid with this.  Filters might be able to beat most of it, but some will always get through.  If I was to try to do this with mechanics, I'd probably roll the rating of the file (or the device sending the file if the file doesn't have a rating) against the Firewall of the device.

[Shadowwalker]

Ah but that is what some of the Noise in a high traffic areas is someone spamming ads and notices to random people.

[Poindexter]

Its just a text file is all. Just something My character wants read by as many random people as possible.

[Sendaz]

Text file.....

It wouldn't spell out H-A-S-T-U-  , well you get the idea.

[Namikaze]

If it's important to the story, I'd let it through no matter what.  If it's just a file that you're spamming and you need some sort of number to represent saturation, I'd just say that you take a random number of people and 20% of those people get the file.  Or some other percentage.  If the saturation level isn't critical to the story, I'd just roll a percentile die and go with that as the saturation rate.

[Xenon]

SR5 File Icons that are not protected can be read by anyone (constantly being broadcasted if you like). In order to be edited, deleted or even copied you need to get permission from the owner.

SR5 File Icons that are protected are private and cannot even be read by anyone else.