In simple Terms:

FTP (File Transfer Protocol),  is the simplest way to exchange files between computers on the Internet. FTP is commonly used to transfer Files back and forth for your personal homepage. It is commonly used to download shareware or other files to your computer from other networks. To use FTP you should acquire an FTP client or to put it in simple terms "a ftp browser".  Your web browser can also make FTP requests to download programs you find on  a web page. Using a ftp client you can rename, add or remove files. Doing this generally applies to your personal account ftp. Most internet services provide free web space. Contact your internet service provider to find out how to use your ftp account for a web page.

You can also use anonymous FTP. That's what the Ftp Search Engines page is for.  Start by finding the files you want through your web browser. Then search for the files on one of the supplied search engines. You can look for shareware, game demos or missing files. Copy the link location and input this into your ftp client. You can then browse though the servers directory as if you were on another hard drive. Remember these servers have rules. Be sure to read the rules in the root directory of the server. These rules also appear when you connect with your ftp client.