A word that might be puzzling for some computer novices is the term 'downloading.' Downloading refers to the duplication of information or data from another source, usually a Web page or a file from a bulletin board service, onto your computer. You can also download data from a network file server, which is one computer devoted mostly to the storage of computer files. Furthermore, you can download files and data from a larger computer system to a smaller system, or downloading can refer to files that are transmitted from one computer to another. This replication occurs usually on your computer's peripherals. You can download to view the file on your monitor, to save it on your disk drive, or to print it on your printer. Conversely, uploading reverses the process. When you upload, you send files away from your computer, using it as the main source, so that other computer users may download them to view, save, or print. For most users, uploading usually consists of sending e-mail from a computer to a server, which routes the mail to the proper recipient, be it another computer or another server. Another important term associated with downloading and uploading is FTP . FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol, and it's the least complicated method of downloading and uploading files from the Internet. FTP, however, is generally used to transmit large programs, rather than e-mail. FTP allows you to save and print files retrieved from the Internet by requesting them through an FTP command interface or server.
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