Star commenter GitEmSteveDave contacted me this morning with a relatively minor but still irritating problem: he didn’t have FTP access to his webspace anymore. While all customers with Verizon as their Internet service provider have a small amount of storage space to put an entire web page or just a few files online, they can now only access that space through a web-based site-builder tool. The change is supposedly for “security” reasons, but somehow security is no longer a concern if you pay Verizon an extra six bucks per month.

He wrote:

Verizon is no longer allowing it’s customers to FTP transfer into or from their personal web spaces, which means I can no longer upload pictures from my cam to my own website. The only way to alter your website is to use their own web based “site builder”. They claim that it’s for “security”. But the funny part? If you pay $5.95 or more a month, you are once again allowed to FTP in.

Of course it’s secure. It’s securing Verizon’s revenue stream!

Tragic as the loss of the 24-hour SteveDave webcam may be, he’s not the only one affected. Indeed, only users paying for the extra $5.95 or $9.95 hosting plans are now able to upload their files directly. (Verizon ISP customers receive the services listed under the $19.95/year plan People noticed, and began posting on customer forums:

No More FTP? [Verizon Small Business Center]

Discontinued FTP service substitute [Verizon forums]