FTP server at freebsd.isc.org is broken

[Carl]

During an unattended, non-interactive build of many ports this evening I 
ran into what I think indicates that the FTP server at freebsd.isc.org 
is broken. Here is what I believe to be evidence, performed from a 
FreeBSD 8.2 server at one site:

   site1# fetch -vvp 
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/distfiles/GD-Arrow-0.01.tar.gz
   scheme:   [ftp]
   user:     []
   password: []
   host:     [ftp.freebsd.org]
   port:     [0]
   document: [/pub/FreeBSD/ports/distfiles/GD-Arrow-0.01.tar.gz]
   ---> ftp.freebsd.org:21
   looking up ftp.freebsd.org
   connecting to ftp.freebsd.org:21
   <<< 220 Welcome to freebsd.isc.org.
   >>> USER anonymous
   <<< 331 Please specify the password.
   >>> PASS agile at rose.agile.lan
   <<< 500 OOPS: cannot change directory:/home/ftp
   fetch: 
ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/distfiles/GD-Arrow-0.01.tar.gz: 
Syntax error, command unrecognized
   # echo $FTP_PASSIVE_MODE
   YES
   site1# ftp freebsd.isc.org
   Trying 204.152.184.73...
   Connected to freebsd.isc.org.
   220 Welcome to freebsd.isc.org.
   Name (freebsd.isc.org:agile): anonymous
   331 Please specify the password.
   Password:
   500 OOPS: cannot change directory:/home/ftp
   ftp: Login failed.
   ftp> bye
   500 OOPS: priv_sock_get_cmd

There's no reason that I know of for anything on my end to be 
referencing /home/ftp. I get this on a Windoze system from a second site 
(different LAN, different WAN address, same city, same ISP):

   C:\>ftp freebsd.isc.org
   Connected to freebsd.isc.org.
   220 Welcome to freebsd.isc.org.
   User (freebsd.isc.org:(none)): anonymous
   331 Please specify the password.
   Password:
   500 OOPS: cannot change directory:/home/ftp
   500 OOPS: priv_sock_get_cmd
   Connection closed by remote host.

And I found this blog entry dated today in which the author is seeing 
the same problem:

 
http://salihsblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/freebsd-pkgadd-error-syntax-error.html
   (http://tinyurl.com/42g7dv5)

When problems like this arise, shouldn't the FreeBSD port building 
mechanisms take advantage of the redundant FreeBSD mirrors to roll over 
to another working server? I use portmaster for port building and it 
terminates with this sort of output when this scenario arises:

   => Attempting to fetch 
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/distfiles/gd-2.0.35.tar.bz2
   fetch: 
ftp://ftp.FreeBSD.org/pub/FreeBSD/ports/distfiles/gd-2.0.35.tar.bz2: 
Syntax error, command unrecognized
   => Couldn't fetch it - please try to retrieve this
   => port manually into /usr/ports/distfiles// and try again.
   *** Error code 1

   Stop in /usr/ports/graphics/gd.

What is the recommended way to enable portmaster to be more resilient 
against such failures?

Carl                                 / K0802647