Technology has played an essential role in changing the way people communicate and how people send items to one another worldwide. Rather than mailing a letter or document via “snail mail,” technology has provided a way for people to send large files instantly through digital means.

Email Services

Email services allow users to exchange digital messages to other email recipients, as well as attach digital files to the message. Typical email services may provide 10 megabytes (MB) in total message size transfers; however popular email services like Yahoo and Gmail provide 25 MB. Total message size transfers include email header, message text, and attached file(s). For most, this message size limit is sufficient, but if a user’s file size is larger than the limit, this will pose a problem. Another possible problem email service users may encounter is if the intended email recipient has an email service with a smaller attachment limit. If this happens, the message will be returned to the user as undeliverable and the recipient will not receive the email at all. An additional issue an email service user may come across is that some services do not allow certain file formats. If the user’s file format is one of these excluded formats, they are out of luck.

Distributed File Systems

Distributed file systems allow users to access files from multiple hosts sharing via a computer network. Similar to File Transfer Protocol (FTP), except distributed file systems do not require the sender or recipient to install any software. Distributed file systems typically require registration and subscription to a monthly or yearly plan, if the file size limit in the free plan is not sufficient for user’s needs. After registering, users are able to send large files to recipients by uploading files to the system’s server. Recipients then receive an email with a link to their files, which can be viewed on the server for up to 14 days. If a distributed file system user is a paid subscriber, the user is encouraged to inform the email recipient to save the files sent to them, rather than open them directly from the server. This will prevent the subscriber from incurring any overage charges. By saving files on their hard drives or desired location, recipients are able to retrieve the file at their own discretion without running up the download bytes on the user’s account or run into the problem of the file expiring from the server. Streaming (playing) a file also counts as a download, so if recipients listen to or view the file that the user uploaded to the server, the user may be charged multiple downloads. Users are also given the option to limit the number of downloads each recipient is allowed.

Another issue the user can anticipate in order to avoid overage charges is if recipients have problems downloading the file. If recipients makes several unsuccessful and successful download attempts, this can cause the user to receive additional charges. Users should advocate contacting the customer support of distributed file system if the recipient is having issues while downloading the file. A solution to interrupted downloads is utilizing a program that lets the recipient start the download where the download left off rather than from the beginning. Not only does this save time, but it also saves the user money by preventing multiple downloads on the account.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is a software protocol used for exchanging information between computers over a TCP/IP-based network. FTP allows users to share files, while encouraging indirect use of remote computers. Although transferring data is reliable, FTP can be more complicated to use, more costly and requires the user to install software. In order to access files, FTP can be used with anonymous user access or with user-based password authentication. There are several security issues with using FTP, particularly the fact that usernames, passwords and the files themselves are all sent in plain text and files are uploaded and/or downloaded without encryption so ultimately an undesired third party can intercept any of these.