Such services are very useful ways of disseminating information, keeping up to date with what is going on in a subject area and keeping in touch with colleagues. A comprehensive and searchable directory of mailing lists, discussion groups and newsgroups covering all subject areas and disciplines is maintained by Tile. Once connected you can access information and run programs such as email on that computer. Many library catalogues and data archives are accessible only via Telnet. Telnet is also often used by people wanting to read their email when they are away from their normal workplace.
Files can include word-processed documents, spreadsheets, databases, software, etc.
You can search for FTP sites using software called Archie. There are a number of Archie services available but it should be noted that Archie searches can take a long time. This is the mechanism which allows Web information to be transferred over the Internet. It uses software called a client or browser to retrieve and display information on your screen. There are times when you will need to enter the address of the information you want.