upload/download

Subject: upload/download
From: "McLauchlan, Kevin" <Kevin -dot- McLauchlan -at- safenet-inc -dot- com>
To: "techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2013 16:06:56 -0500

I usually say "download" for any transfer from a server to a workstation or device, and "upload" for any transfer from a device or workstation to a server (or cloud, or other manifestation of the interweebs). So, there's an element of "greater to lesser" vs "lesser to greater" in how I classify.

After downloading a set of files from an FTP site to my laptop, it felt natural for me to then "download" those files to a handheld device connected to the laptop via USB, for the purpose of updating/upgrading that device.

My cow-orker disagrees and would say that anything going away from my computer is an upload, and anything toward the computer is a download, so copying files from the laptop to the device is an upload.

I can see both sides of this discussion (implying either that I'm more open-minded than my colleague.... or that I'm not good at making up my mind... you are free to guess which of us holds which view of respective mental states... :-) )

Anyway, I know we've had this discussion before, but I don't recall that we nailed down the transfer from a computer to a 'lesser' device.
Think of, say, updating the firmware of a card reader or a fingerprint reader or iris scanner.
The device doesn't instigate. You and your computer have the files, and you and your computer tell the device what is coming. The device can refuse (or just not accept, like if you don't press the [Enter] or [Yes] button ), but it can't initiate a transfer, and it can't pick and choose what it gets. If that matters.

What's the current view, and why do you think so?

Oh, and FWIW, I'm old enough to remember when "download" and "upload" were applied to transfers between a CPU and a tape drive or similar. And an array of switches on a front panel was how commands were input. But let's not get stuck on that. What do the terms mean to you, today, and in the context of your more powerful/comprehensive device sending update files (like bootloader and firmware kernel) to a smaller/lesser device?
Let's further stipulate that the laptop and device are connected by a short cable, so that you (the person) are both issuing commands on the laptop and pressing acknowledgement buttons on the device.... just to preclude any notion of "us" and "them" in the "upload/download" consideration.


~




The information contained in this electronic mail transmission
may be privileged and confidential, and therefore, protected
from disclosure. If you have received this communication in
error, please notify us immediately by replying to this
message and deleting it from your computer without copying
or disclosing it.




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
New! Doc-to-Help 2013 features the industry's first HTML5 editor for authoring.

Learn more: http://bit.ly/ZeOZeQ

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- web -dot- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-

To unsubscribe send a blank email to
techwr-l-leave -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com


Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwhirl.com/email-discussion-groups/ for more resources and info.

Looking for articles on Technical Communications? Head over to our online magazine at http://techwhirl.com

Looking for the archived Techwr-l email discussions? Search our public email archives @ http://techwr-l.com/archives


Follow-Ups:

Previous by Author: RE: Hosted Help - server specs?
Next by Author: RE: upload/download
Previous by Thread: TechWhirl: Technical Communication Recap for December 6, 2013
Next by Thread: Re: upload/download


What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:


Sponsored Ads