It is a fact that I can't keep providing direct downloads for beatmaps to the level I currently am. Donations/subscriptions do not cover the costs of bandwidth. For example, a one month subscription ($4) will provide around 20gb of traffic, which depending on how outgoing the user that subscribed is, may only cover 3-4 users' traffic.

In the near future there will be the introduction of a peer to peer distribution system. It will mean some changes to how beatmaps are downloaded and loaded into osu!. For the purpose of this discussion, let us assume the system works perfectly and speed of downloads will not be affected.

I want to find out how people feel about sharing their bandwidth (outgoing) and how willing they are to help ensure availability of maps. Bandwidth usage will be optimised to have no effect on gameplay, and have a setting for usage when minimised/idle.

Option 2: I am happy. It just needs proper regulation.

Would this have the potential to get me in trouble with the university since I am using ResNet? If we get caught using P2P software we could get disconnected and/or fined..

I definitely would approve of beatmap sharing while osu! is running. When I close osu! I want it to close completely. I answered the first option, but in fact, I don't mind if it shares beatmaps while I am idle with osu! open (or working on maps, or whatever). Just please, no tray icon or background services that run when osu! isn't running.

Also, there should be a throttle in the options (I.e. don't transfer any faster than x kbps) otherwise, I might get in trouble for using too much upstream bandwidth.

I wouldn't mind sharing my bandwidth, even while not playing...

except I would get rid of all weeaboo maps.

I picked opt 1.
Not that I mind opt2 at all but when I close osu! (tho that rarely happens) it's cause I seed out anime torrents.
I don't mind it at all. I'd like to help as mush as possible but, doing both at once would kill my bandwith.
But I'm sure there would be an off switch, so I could go with either choice. I just like opt1 one better.

The only question I'd have about this type of system is would there be an option to set how much bandwidth osu! can use?

@Azure:

I rarely even use half of my monthly bandwidth, so I'm definitely game.

One feature I'd like to request for this implementation is the ability to set a weekly/monthly distribution limit. For example, I don't want to share more than 20GB of bandwidth a month.

Comcast has a 250GB bandwith limit a month, and I know that I don't use ANYWHERE near that, so...

I'm not entirely against it, but I don't know what my bandwidth limit is, so a limiter like awp said would be nice.

Most people have limits placed on how much they can download, but not upload. There are of course some exceptions to this rule, but that is the general way things work.