WHAT IS CONSIDERED A PROPER CONDUCT OF ANONYMOUS FTP USAGE
Like many systems world wide, ours offers anonymous logins for
FTP users. Such a service means:
- You do not need to apply an account at this server, just use
well known userid: anonymous and for a password do enter
your email address (in format: your_userid@your_site)
- While this service is called "anonymous" due to that well-known
userid, it is considered good manners to identify yourself
properly. (No, this is not truly anonymous.)
(See PRIVACY ISSUES)
For those who have this privilege of using ftp, here are some do's
and don'ts:
- When you are working over long distance links, do limit yourself
to off hours. When working between the USA and Finland, try it
after 4 PM OUR time ( 10 AM Eastern USA time.) And remember that
we wake up 10 hours before California.
We are at time zone `GMT +2h'.
- 90+% of material in this archive are originated from various
locations all over USA. Sometimes those locations are well
known. Often not. We try to indicate origins if we know them.
DO try to use server nearest (network wise) to yourself, USA
folks: please restrain yourself to USA.
- When you log in anonymous, system immediately classifies you, and
if you are not limited by number of users on your class, you are
prompted with:
331 Guest login ok, send ident (your email address) as password.
It really means what is says: Give your email address as password.
We might spot problems on files and send warnings to those who
have requested that(/those) file(s) (see PRIVACY ISSUES).
If your FTP program uses getpass(3) routine blindly (most
BSD networking source derived FTP programs), you can't enter
more than 8 characters for password from the keyboard. Ever.
Try to install FTP program from /pub/local/src/net2+mea-ftp.tar.Z.
You can then feed in a lot longer `passwords'.
(It has replacement for getpass() which inputs 130 chars.)
Alternatively, read the man-page of ftp-program (assuming you
are using UNIX ftp client), and see what is said about ".netrc".
Some machines have problems with @-characters at such addresses,
UNIX: stty erase ^? kill ^u
IBM VM/SP CMS: CP TERM CHARDEL OFF, CP TERM LINEND OFF
- When you upload something, make sure it is freely distributable.
For example some GIF images we have gotten are very obviously
scanned from magazines, which have publication copyrights on them.
This makes it illegal to copy those pictures `without the prior
written consent of the publisher.' (And yes, WE WANT TO SEE THAT
WRITTEN CONSENT FOR UPLOADING SUCH!)
- See below more about what is `Freely Distributable'.
After all, it is not always the same as Public Domain!
- REMEMBER: USING ANONYMOUS FTP IS A PRIVILEGE. DON'T ABUSE IT!