Loads of Downloads?

When you transfer files and data to your computer from the Internet it is called 'Downloading' and conversely, when you transfer file to the Internet it is called 'Uploading'.

The majority of people who use the Internet (Net) concentrate their time on the World Wide Web. The Web is just one part of the Net, and FTP is another, not as popular and well known but just as important in terms of getting the content that you want.

FTP sites are generally repositories for data, programs, pictures and various other sorts of files. FTP as it says, is a means of transferring these files to your computer.

In comparison to HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP), which is the language of the Web, using FTP can be distinctly advantageous. The transfer rates are usually higher, so you get the file you are after more quickly, and the sites have restrictions on the number of people who can visit at one time.

Limiting the number of visitors may sound like a bad idea, but it means that the files you request will be delivered quite quickly. If the site is full when you first try, you will not usually have to wait very long before you can get in.

The web is graphics based. The information is right there on the page and the links that you follow are clear, descriptive and can even be pictures. FTP is different, but not difficult. It is best that you have some familiarity with your computer's file manager, i.e. Windows Explorer, as the FTP programs give a view of the site you are visiting in a very similar way.

The sites are laid out in this way because it is the way that the files are stored on the site server, and the files are what you are there for. Moving from directory, or folder, to directory is a simple matter of double-clicking on the directory you want to view, and most sites will include an index file telling you what each file in a given directory contains.

When you install an FTP program it will usually create a list of FTP sites that cover a range of interests, and most of the larger companies on the Web will have an FTP site as well.

There will be some sites that restrict access to certain parts of the directory structure, or to some of the files stored there. If this is the case then most of the FTP programs will pop-up a small window telling you what restrictions there are.

As with all things on the Net, experiment. Try to do the things that you want, and see what happens. Be careful, of course, not to do any damage, though you usually cannot damage anything on the servers without really trying, and having specialised knowledge.

One thing to remember is that the vast majority of this information, files and other content is put there for you. You are the customer and as such you can treat each place you visit like a shop. Look around at everything and choose what you want to take with you. The big advantage with the Internet is that most things are free.