Lest we forget, the Internet is there for people to do work. People
using the network and the systems on it are doing so for a purpose,
whether it be research, development, whatever. Any heavy activity
takes away from the overall performance of the network as a whole.
The effects of an FTP connection on a site and its link can vary; the
general rule of thumb is that any extra traffic created detracts from
the ability of that site's users to perform their tasks. To help be
considerate of this, it's highly recommended that FTP sessions
be held only after normal business hours for that site, preferably
late at night. The possible effects of a large transfer will be less
destructive at 2 a.m. than 2 p.m. Also, remember that if it's past
dinner time in Maine, it's still early afternoon in California---think
in terms of the current time at the site that's being visited, not of
local time.