They wouldn't be using FTP is they care about security.
I don't get why there is so much resistance. It's an old, outdated technology that has to be replaced eventually. Yes, change is always painful. But this isn't like with RSS were the tech provided clear benefits we would loose.
FTP is not a secure protocol. That's why SFTP was made, even though it isn't really anything like FTP.
In any case, integrating FTP in your browser absolutely increases your chances of an exploit, though. When was the last time the FTP code was tested? Or worked on at all? I suspect it will have been a very long time.
