>> You can thank Windows for this.
>
> Nah. You can thank NAT for this.

I think it's more the general problem of Internet security. If you 
expose a service to the Internet, random people will try to hack it. 
Security is a Hard Problem.

> Note how all of those require a running server on a public IP address.

Well, yes. To perform a data transfer, you need a way to contact the 
other end.

I'm told there's a system called UPnP or something which is supposed to 
allow you to automatically bypass NAT. I have no idea whether this 
actually works. (It's the first time I've ever heard of it...) If it 
does work, NAT should be a non-issue.

>> Of course this requires for one of the computers to act as a server.
>> This is made difficult in Windows. (Yes, I know it's not impossible.
>> I didn't say that.)
>
> Transferring files in Windows is trivial. You RDP into the other
> machine, and use copy/paste just like in the file manager. Or you mount
> the share off the other machine. Or let RDP mount the share for you.

It's news to me that you can transfer files with RDP. Indeed, that's one 
of the frustrating things about it; it let's you control the remote 
machine, but not get data to it or from it.

>> If you are regularly transferring files to someone, just make him install
>> skype.
>
> Or any IM client, really.

Pretty much, yeah...

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