Decentralized file-sharing systems like Napster [11] and Gnutella [23] have popularized the peer-to-peer approach [18, 20, 22], which emphasizes the use of distributed resources in a decentralized manner. Peer-to-Peer (p2p) systems are a relatively new addition to the large area of distributed systems. Their emphasis on sharing distributed resource, self-organization and use of discovery mechanisms sets them apart from other forms of distributed computing. Avoiding centralized components, and extensive resource/service sharing allows p2p systems to outperform other forms of distributed systems in regards to scalability [1] and robustness due to load distribution and the avoidance of bottlenecks and single points of failure. This paper has two aims; firstly it is a report on the use of JXTA in converting a server-centric legacy forum system into a p2p system. It is also an attempt to encourage others in redesigning existing client-server systems into p2p applications as a way of to better understand and evaluate the costs and benefits of this technology.