File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

File Transfer Protocol is the common standard used to allow people to send files from one computer to another across the internet.

Cobar , a file transfer program

This sounds like a very simple and obvious thing to be able to do. However, FTP allows almost any kind of computer to send and receive files from almost any other kind, regardless of differences in file storage systems.

The standard also allows people to create folders, move and rename and even delete files on different types of computers anywhere in the world via the internet.

FTP is used commonly to transfer web pages and images from a web developer’s computer to a web server. It is also often used to download shareware or freeware software from sites such as www.download.com .

Where email and the world-wide-web are highly visible internet services, FTP is one of the silent achievers that works behind the scenes to make the internet what it is today.