Question : Why is HTTP faster than FTP?

Why is HTTP faster than FTP?
Is the difference in performance the same on a TCP/IP LAN?
Reply in plain english for dummies please..!

Answer : Why is HTTP faster than FTP?

HTTP is a stateless protocol, by this I mean that it doesn't remember who you are from one click to the next, Http is also an anoymous protocol that you don't need a username or password to access. HTTP simple feds your browser the pages it needs when it needs them.

FTP on the other hand is more secure even though most traffic is passed as clear text. The FTP protocol remembers who you are while your connected and you need a username and password to access it, even if this is just the default anoymous, (which should be disabled for security reasons)

You will notice the same performance differance between the 2 protocols on a TCP lan.

Hope this makes sense, please let me know if you want me to explain it in plainer english