Hi
The binaries are ~47MiB apiece. I suspect that almost everyone on Windows and Linux x86 will want the binaries too, since compiling GHC tends to take a while. Anyway, it seems like haskell.org is becoming more responsive now, but it would be something to keep in mind for the future.
and don't forget that haskell.org box serves not only ghc downloading and even not only haskell site
i propose: in a few first days after release, make available only alternative download places (SoundForge, BitTorrent...) and then, when first wave of downloads shrinks, make direct links. also, hackage server may be a better place for storing such popular downloads?
That sounds like a great last resort if the server is about to die. As it stands, I don't think its necessary - so it would be annoying but not particularly useful. Also I would much rather a direct link to a bitorrent, and certainly at my University I wouldn't have access to the torrent ports. Thanks Neil