Re: LYNX-DEV unworkable ftp URLs

[Bill Reif]

On 1998-01-25 address@hidden said:

   >On Sun, 25 Jan 1998 address@hidden wrote:
   >> I have had no success downloading certain files with the
   >>extention .mp3,  which files are referenced by URLs similar in
   >>form to the following:  ftp://mp3:address@hidden
   >20/humorous/(unknown_-12_pains_of_christmas.mp3 >

   >You are trying to download MPEG audio files - a medium for encoding
   >music with high quality in little space.  Because of this technical
   >advancement, these files became "ideal" for distributing "pirated"
   >music.  (Don't worry, I won't yell at you.)

That's such a harsh word: "pirated".  They are a great way of 
transporting music, but at between 3 and 9 meg per file, they're big 
enough that I don't like to store them on my hard drive permanentlyy ...
except for the really good ones <grin>.  Actually, I treat them as demos
and have purchased CDs after hearing songs or connecting a particular 
song with the CD on which it is located.  (I don't know what's with
radio stations that interrupt their music often to tell you you're 
listening to an uninterrupted hour of music but can't find time to 
identify the artist/CD of what they're playing.)  BTW: for those who 
haven't heard them: MP3s are much closer in sound quality to CD than to 
real audio.

   >That, in turn, has
   >lead to an increased demand among certain groups for these files
   >(because they contain music, and they're free.)  And that has led
   >to a problem: it's often hard to get such files even if you know of
   >their location because they are usually supported on servers
   >running out of dorm rooms with limited bandwidth or on people's PCs
   >where they need to have at least SOME processor time for themselves.
   >And, if you see where I'm going with this, that has led to problems
   >for people that want to get these kinds of files off of these
   >servers.
   >So, in short, it's not a bug, it's just a necessary consequence of
   >this type of media.

That doesn't seem to be as big a problem with most sites, which offer
their files via HTTP URL.  It does explain why most URLs, whether FTP or
HTTP, directly reference the ISP address rather than its domain and
rarely list MP3s at the same site as the page.  On the other hand, I
found the song in question (using altavista) on a page at
http://www.veconsulting.com/cgi-local/search.cgi, which page lists
several thousand mp3s at several FTP sites, none of which seem to work. 
Thus, I think there's more at play here than simply the volume of 
requested files as you contend, and has been brought up in other 
messages.

   >By the way, the artist for the file in question is the Bob Rivers
   >Comedy Group.
Thanks.  That was one reason I looked for the file.  They also did Marv
Albert's favorite song, sung to the tune of "walking in a Winter
Wonderland" entitled "Walking Round in Women's Underwear".


Bill Reif
Springfield, Illinois

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