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Other Tools
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FTP, Archie, Gopher, Telnet
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. This is a text only version (and therefore not as
glamorous as normal graphics based web pages) of transferring files from one computer to
another. These files can consist of anything from a text document to a large program file.
FTP requires possibly a little more working knowledge of the intricacies of the way a
computer stores files (as opposed to the "point and click" simplicity of your
normal web surfing). However, there are currently many FTP client programs with graphical
user interfaces (GUI) available that shield the user from these complications.
Archie is a utility available on the net that allows one to scour the net for a file with
a name that matches your request exactly. You would have to know the exact file name or at
least a substring of it. Once you have established the location of the file (it could be
on an FTP server), you will be able to download it. There are many Archie servers all over
the world. You would have to log into one of them in order to use Archie.
Gopher is very similar to Archie except that it provides one distinct advantage. All its
entries are indexed, which means that it is far easier to narrow down a search under a
particular topic. It also provides a seamless interface whereby you don't really get to
know (or care) which computer in the world the information is coming from. A single Gopher
directory can contain files that are actually located on many different computers all over
the world.
Telnet is an application that allows a user to log onto a networked computer using their
own computer as a "dumb" terminal. This means that any of the tasks that you
wish to perform in a telnet session are actually performed by the computer you have
telnetted into. Normally, you would have to have some sort of account on this computer so
that it can recognize who is logging in for security reasons. Telnet is useful for tasks
such as remote administration, running large number crunching programs on a powerful
machine from a remote location, or "taking your work home with you". Telnet also
requires the user to have a relatively good idea of the commands available to him on the
remote machine.
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