Module 1 FTP Task

I am interested in learning more about the subject File Transfer Protocol (FTP). As I am wanting to explore the field of Web Design, having played around with various aspects of designing a web space in the past, I have always wondered how you publish a web site. So I feel if I can familiarise myself with the software and how it works it will give me a better understanding of the process involved.

Webopedia describes FTP as:

"Short for File Transfer Protocol, the protocol for exchanging files over the Internet. FTP works in the same way as HTTP for transferring Web pages from a server to a user's browser and SMTP for transferring electronic mail across the Internet in that, like these technologies, FTP uses the Internet's TCP/IP protocols to enable data transfer.
FTP is most commonly used to download a file from a server using the Internet or to upload a file to a server (e.g., uploading a Web page file to a server)." Webopedia, "FTP." July 21, 2004.http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/F/FTP.html (accessed March 1, 2007).

TASK 2: FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOL (FTP) - The purpose of this task was to ftp to recall.curtin.edu.au and locate then download a readme file. This would provide the answer to the missing word.

For this task I used an FTP app called Smart FTP available from: http://www.smartftp.com/download/

1. Entered recall.curtin.edu.au in the SmartFTP address bar and selected 'Go'

2. This brought up the directory from where I looked for the README file

3. Located the readme.txt file and downloaded to my computer

4. Opened the readme.txt file and found the missing word which was: CAPITALISATION

I found this exercise surprsingly simple. I always thought accessing a server to either upload or download files would be an extremely comlicated task, but was pleasantly surprised.