Once the website is set up, other Wirehog users can download files to their own computers.

Zuckerberg said there would be a mechanism to track the most popular downloads to facilitate the spread of local bands’ music.

“If Chester French comes out with a bunch of new music at Wirehog, they’ll upload it and their friends will get it. There will be an advertising mechanism to see what’s hot in the network,” Zuckerberg said. “It gives people who don’t really have an advertising network a chance to get their stuff out.”

Zuckerberg did not deny that his site could be used for the spread of copyrighted MP3 files, but added that the possibility did not mean that his program should be viewed as illicit.

“People can use this for uploading files that are copyrighted. People can also use [AOL Instant Messenger] for that, or they can use e-mail for that,” he said. “The fact that people can use it for those things doesn’t inherently make the program bad.”

He added, “A lot of content people will be using this for won’t be infringing material.”

Zuckerberg said Wirehog will be integrated with thefacebook.com so that facebook friends will be allowed to view files on a user’s Wirehog page by default.

Additionally, users will receive links to their friends’ Wirehog pages via thefacebook.com, Zuckerberg said. He added that, like on thefacebook.com, users’ pages will be able to be browsed.

—Staff writer Alan J. Tabak can be reached at tabak@fas.harvard.edu.