What is the Difference Between Uploading and Downloading?  

Uploading is the transmission of a file from one computer system to another, usually larger computer system. From a network user's point-of-view, to upload a file is to send it to another computer that is set up to receive it. People who share images with others on bulletin board services ( BBS ) upload files to the BBS.
Transmission in the other direction is downloading -- from one, usually larger computer to another, usually smaller computer. From an Internet user's point-of-view, downloading is receiving a file from another computer.

The File Transfer Protocol ( FTP ) is the Internet facility for downloading and uploading files. (If you are uploading a file to another site, you must usually have permission in advance to access the site and the directory where the file is to be placed.)
When you send or receive an attached file with an e-mail note, this is just an attachment, not a download or an upload. However, in practice, many people use "upload" to mean "send" and "download" to mean receive. The term is used loosely in practice and if someone says to you "Download (or upload) such--and-such a file to me" via e-mail, they simply mean "Send it to me."
In short, from the ordinary workstation or small computer user's point-of-view, to upload is to send a file and to download is to receive a file.
Downloading is the transmission of a file from one computer system to another, usually smaller computer system. From the Internet user's point-of-view, to download a file is to request it from another computer (or from a Web page on another computer) and to receive it.

uploading is transmission in the other direction: from one, usually smaller computer to another computer. From an Internet user's point-of-view, uploading is sending a file to a computer that is set up to receive it. People who share images with others on bulletin board systems (BBS) upload files to the BBS.

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is the Internet protocol for downloading and uploading files and a number of special applications can furnish FTP services for you. (However, if you are downloading through a Web page, the FTP request is set up for you by the Web page. You are usually asked where you want the downloaded file placed on your hard disk, and then the downloading transmission takes place.)

When you send an attached file with an e-mail note, this is just an attachment, not a download or an upload. In practice, many people use "download" and "upload" rather indiscriminately so you just have to understand the context. For example, if someone says to you "Download (or upload) such--and-such a file to me by e-mail," they clearly mean "Send it to me as an attachment."

In general, from the ordinary workstation or small computer user's point-of-view, to download is to receive a file and to upload is to send a file.

Answered by Nishu%27s at 10:23 PM on December 18, 2008

To download is to receive data from a remote or central system, such as a webserver, FTP server, mail server, or other similar systems. A download is any file that is offered for downloading or that has been downloaded. The word's primary usage comes in the form of a verb. Increasingly, websites that offer streaming media or media displayed in-browser, such as YouTube, and which place restrictions on the ability of users to save these materials to their computers after they have been received, say that downloading is not permitted. That is, "download" is used to mean "receive and save" instead of simply "receive".
The inverse operation is to send data from a local system to a remote system, FTP server, or website. For example, "Uploading a video to Wikipedia" means sending a video to the website. The difference between uploading and downloading is downloading means to receive and save and uploading means to send and save. Thus when someone is uploading a file to a server or computer from the receiving it is called downloading

Answered by ani at 8:02 PM on December 18, 2008

Uploading means data to be sent on internet to see someone else& Downloading means to capture the data on the internet to ur computer

Answered by Sameer at 7:08 PM on December 18, 2008

Uploading and downloading are two terms used in computing to refer to data transfer. In brief, files are considered uploaded when they are transferred from a computer to a central server. Files are downloaded when they are transferred from a server to a smaller peripheral unit. When data is being transferred from one system to another, it is either being uploaded or downloaded, depending on the circumstance.

Uploading usually refers to copying files from a smaller peripheral system to a larger central system. For example, a user might upload files from his or her cellphone to a personal computer. These files in turn might be uploaded again to a central server. The uploading of small files might take only a few seconds, while larger graphic-heavy files could take hours. In most cases, uploading can be accomplished while the computer is performing other tasks, although it may slow the computer down if it is handling large files.

Downloading refers to the transfer of data from a central system to a smaller system. For example, the same files uploaded to the server above might be downloaded for viewing by another user. When downloading files, the larger the file, the more time it takes to complete the transfer, just as is in uploading. Downloaded files usually remain on the server unless the user specifies otherwise, meaning that others can access the information.

Uploading and downloading are used on a daily basis by Internet consumers. Email is downloaded from a server while replies are uploaded to be sent out. The source code of a web page is downloaded to the end user’s computer so that he or she can view the content. Other consumers download games, audio files, or video for personal amusement. Consumers who host their own websites may use a specialized File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program to upload files to their servers, or download files from other locations.

Essentially any information that can be digitized can be uploaded or downloaded. The terms refer to moving information around an informational web, whether it be a home or office network or the entire Internet. A number of programs have arisen to assist consumers with uploading and downloading, also called file sharing. Uploading and downloading have greatly simplified the free exchange of information which has characterized the computer age.

Answered by Debashis at 5:34 PM on December 18, 2008