this form of the command does not put the file into the current directory,
it puts it in the absolute path you specify.
what probably happens is that the ftp server opens the file for
(over-)writing before telling the ftp client to send it along; opening
it zero's it out. The ftp client then sends this zero-length file.
Bug? Arguable. Certainly not the bug you are implying, though.
dan pritts
Unix System Admin First Virtual Holdings, Inc.
danno@aa.fv.com 313-213-3791