File transfer over the web

The first thing to note about FTP and file transfer is that, as an application-layer protocol on the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) stack, the primary concern of its design is in optimizing a specific common business task for execution over a network. However, just because a task is optimally done over a given protocol, it doesn't mean it must be done over that protocol. Indeed, almost anything done at the application-layer could, in theory, be accomplished by any application-layer protocol. So, what is it that makes FTP useful for us as engineers?

The intent of FTP

While FTP is optimized for a file transfer between hosts, I'd wager every dollar I have that there isn't a single...