Large Linux distros used it to save on bandwidth.

Searching for terms like "Roughman Injection" today comes with a significant warning. Because these files were often hosted on unverified third-party sites, they were (and are) frequently used as "wrappers" for malware.

Before Dropbox or Google Drive, there was Rapidshare. Based in Switzerland, it was the king of "one-click hosting." It allowed users to upload massive files and share the link with anyone. Seeing "Rapidshare" in a search query marks it as a piece of internet history.