The FTP Task

For the FTP task in this module I used Filezilla. An easy program to understand and use, and reminded me a lot of programs I had used many years ago. This is probably because FTP itself has been around for many years, and since the protocol hasn’t changed there was no real need to change the basics of a client to operate the protocol. I started by connecting to recall.curtin.edu.au which brought me to the first level of the directory structure on the server as shown below:

 

Next I began searching through the server’s directories until I found the file called readme.txt, which was in the MSC folder on the server. I transferred the file to my computer, and opened it up to check for the answer to the FTP task question which was – “according to the readme file ‘____________ MATTERS’ – what word goes in the blank?” In the first sentence of the file I downloaded, it said that CAPITALIZATION MATTERS because the file is located on a UNIX server. This stage of the task is the next graphic:

However, this had me rethinking the task because in the original instructions I had been asked to find the README file, not the readme.txt file. At first I hadn’t thought there to be a difference as I’d been looking up readme.txt files for many years to do with program instructions, hardware details, etc and you were normally directed to them by a simple term like “Check readme file for latest update information”. However since the answer to this task’s question was that capitalization matters, had I in fact gone to the right file. So I re-connected to the server (as when using FTP you are automatically disconnected after a preset time to free up server resources) to check if their actually was a README file somewhere there. I found another readme.txt in the blaster folder but it was about the blaster worm and had no relevance to the answer I was looking for. There was no README file on the server, so I then knew I had the right file originally.

It did make me wonder though, if in this task capitalization matters, then why was the file called README and not readme in the task instructions? Was it just a thought that everyone would do as I had originally done, and assume that the target was readme.txt? Or is this in fact a trick question in which the correct answer is – there is no missing word as the file README does not exist on the server recall.curtin.edu.au?

Overall my thoughts on this task are that I cannot see at this point in time FTP being replaced, as it is a simple and easy method of transferring files between computers over a network, especially larger files such as programs, music and movies. You use a client such as Filezilla to access an FTP server, and when you receive the file you chose to download it is ready to use. I remember when to transfer files you had to use a program called a uudecoder to get files from BBS’s. If you opened a file after downloading it looked like a meaningles jumble of text characters that made no sense at all. But once you converted the file back to it’s original state using the uudecoder, you could view the graphic or use the program as it was intended.