it is my understanding that ftp programs are used by website owners to control their site''s content which is stored on a remote webserver''s (host co.''s) directories. is this correct? what are some good features a *decent* ftp program should have, and does anybody have any recommendations? also can anybody explain the pros/cons of regular web hosting as opposed to co-hosting? if a site is co-hosted, does the owner still need to use an ftp program to access the other host''s resources?

"it is my understanding that ftp programs are used by website owners to control their site''s content which is stored on a remote webserver''s (host co.''s) directories. is this correct?"

Yes. Although a lot of webhosts now have utilities that you can use via a browser to control various aspects of your site, including a file manager.

"what are some good features a *decent* ftp program should have, and does anybody have any recommendations?"
I assume you mean an ftp client and not a server. If so, I use leechftp under win, and gftp/ftp under nix. The best features of these programs is the drag-drop/easy-to-use interface and their price: 0 dollars and 0 cents.

"also can anybody explain the pros/cons of regular web hosting as opposed to co-hosting?" I assume by "co-hosting" you mean hosting by a webhosting company. Then regular webhosting must mean hosting an http server on your own home computer. Of course with having a home server you would need sufficient rights with your ISP, and enough bandwith to support it. Also you would need a static IP, which would be available under a specific/business type plan through your ISP. If it was a commercial site you would probably need it running 24/7 and would probably have to purchase a dedicated server to do this, probably about 4-10k. And all the software etc. The benenfits of this are that you could run whatever you wanted on the server without restriction, and you wouldn''t be charged a monthly fee or fees for excessive bandwith (except from your ISP).

I would definitely suggest to go through a webhosting company. They are a dime a dozen these days, you simply purchase the plan that is right for you. They then allocate a certain amount of hdd space on their server, they will probably even register the domain name for you. You will get a certain amount of bandwith a month, and most webhosts would run a lot faster than anything you could get through an ISP.

I use smartFTP (under windows). it''s free and has an easy interface. there are plenty of other good ones out there, too.