Why would downloading from the ideas archive directly result in files
that are possibly corrupt? Those of us stuck behind corporate
firewalls typically do not have any other option but to download
updates and ado files directly. I have never had any problems with the
direct downloads, have I been just lucky?
If you are not using Windows there is very little chance of a problem
in using a web browser to get these materials. But for Windows users,
you run into the problem that Bill Gates has hijacked the meaning of
".hlp" to mean something special for Windows--worse yet, it is a binary
file on Windows, which means that all those corporate virus-checkers
that are looking for .bin, .exe, .com, .scr, etc. that might really
mess up your Windozer have a good chance of preventing you from
downloading a .hlp. If you can download a .hlp, it will probably be
munged beyond recognition - or so many Windows users tell me when they
wonder what's wrong with downloads from SSC via browser. Thus the
exhortation to avoid same. If it works for you, great. But for an
increasing number of Windows users (given enhanced concerns about
security) it does not work at all.
Even if you have a firewall, if it allows browser downloads, it should
work with Stata; Stata is talking on port 80 (HTTP) as well when it
does 'net' commands. You might have to set your proxy settings in
Stata, just as someone has probably done for your web browser. I have
had to do this in various UK academic sites where they use proxy
servers.
