Make sure you share any files that you download, and any files that you already have. You should see people being uploading from you almost immediately if you have at least a small collection of files. Sometimes, people think they are sharing but they aren't. If you are behind a firewall, be very sure to check the firewall box in the Connection page of the Setup Dialog. For someone who is not used to a true peer to peer program like BearShare, it can be a little difficult to begin using the program and getting good results right away.
Help is just a click away.
You can press the Help button from the BearShare Main Window to bring up the complete documentation. You can also press the Community button to access the BearShare. Net exists so that users can help other users. If you have problems connecting, searching, downloading, or sharing, you can come to BearShare. Net and tap the knowledge of the entire community.