File Sharing Ideas

Posted on October 12, 2009 by Jonathan

Often, we run into the need to share files with clients, family, friends, etc. Here are some useful services that make it very simple.

Dropbox – I use this service. You get 2GB free, so if your sharing needs are limited to photos, pdf’s and Word docs, you’ll love this. Anyone you want to send files to must also have a Dropbox account. On top of the 2GB free account, they have 2 paid options: Pro 50 (50GB) for $9.99/month and Pro 100 (100GB) for $19.99/month. Dropbox also features a very handy iPhone app.
youSendit – I just became aware of this service recently. It acts as an FTP replacement. I used to setup folders on my web server for clients to send me files. This can be cumbersome, and can be impossible for those that aren’t computer/web savvy. youSendit makes it very easy, and provides a plethora of plugins for you to send directly from the programs you use. They offer a free 2 week trial to see if the service is for you.
MobileMe – This is Apple’s $99/year service that sports several nice features. As far as file sharing, you can upload large files to your 20GB iDisk. Then you can email anyone a link to download the large files. You can also create online photo galleries that users can download if you allow them to.

There are other file sharing services, but I am familiar with these three. I suggest you follow the provided links to see which service best serves your needs.

Windows PC Defender Is No Defense

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Jonathan

Creators of malware and viruses are always using new tactics, so it makes sense that a recent malware removal I performed was the most difficult I’ve faced.

Windows PC Defender (not to be confused with Microsoft’s Windows Defender) uses similar tactics to the AntiVirus (2008, 2009, 360, etc.) malware I’ve seen before. It made things more difficult, however, by disabling the Task Manager. By doing this, it kept me from stopping its process, and deleting it.

The work-around was to enter Safe Mode. I was then able to delete it and its supporting files. To enter Safe Mode, press and hold the F8 key as soon as your computer is turned on.Once in Safe Mode, I was able to use these instructions found at BleepingComputer.com.

The best way not to get this malware is to never download anything you can’t confirm is safe. Don’t be fooled by official sounding titles like “Windows PC Defender” or “AntiVirus 2009″. You should Google these programs to determine their veracity. Or just don’t download them at all. You are your computer’s best defense.

OS Updates Can Be Tricky

Posted on September 13, 2009 by Jonathan

Every few years, the operating systems that run our computers are updated. These updates can present problems if you’re not comfortable troubleshooting your computer. Preferences, GUI (graphic user interface) and location of files and programs can change. The software you use will also have to be updated by their makers to work with the new OS.

Apple recently updated their operating system to Snow Leopard. Microsoft will be doing the same soon with Windows 7. They both provide innovation and new useful features to users. However, if you’re unprepared for the changes, you may find these updates frustrating.

For most users, I would suggest you wait a couple of months before making these major upgrades. You’ll find the upgrades will go smoother after the operating system makers have worked out the bugs.

Issues Facing The Web

Posted on September 25, 2008 by Jonathan

I usually try to keep this space free of hot button topics. Here I like to discuss things that help you understand how the web works in a practical way. However, the more the web expands into our lives, the more these issues come to the forefront. I’ll touch on a couple.

One such hot button topic that has been bantered about is internet filtering. Certain sections of the US government, as well as a large portion of the telecommunications industry, want the ability to force an ISP (Internet Service Provider) to divulge our internet habits. They say this can help them root out terrorists, stop child pornography and stop sharing of copyrighted materials.

These seem like noble ideals, and they are in their simplest form. My fear, however, is there will be a compromise of our privacy. The right to privacy is a very American one, and a right we must defend rigorously. I fear the temptation to use this information in ways we can’t comprehend and wouldn’t approve of will be too great. I cannot condone large organizations (governments, corporations, etc.) with seemingly endless resources being able to spy on me.

Another big issue recently in the news is internet throttling. Internet throttling is the practice of slowing down the connection speeds of users taking up a lot of bandwidth. An example would be people who upload large amounts of video to the web.

The ISP’s call this practice reasonable network maintenance. They claim these users are slowing down connections for everyone else and are overloading the network. Whether or not this is true is up for debate. Comcast just received a stinging rebuke from the FCC for throttling users without their knowledge. Instead of stopping internet throttling altogether, they are now just being upfront about it.

This is a Pandora’s Box. Once we allow some content to be blocked or inhibited, where do we draw the line? Deregulation has put the power in fewer and fewer hands. The FCC rebuke aside, there has been very little in the form of accountability. The telecommunications industry is a very powerful lobby, and has large resources available to petition our government. We need checks and balances to make sure our rights and freedoms are observed.

Wherever you stand in the political realm, these are issues that have and will continue to affect you. I encourage you to contact your US and state representatives. Ask them where they stand on these issues, and if they plan to protect your privacy.

Badges For Your Blog

Posted on September 22, 2008 by Jonathan

One thing you’ll see a lot of on most blogs is a badge or two. On the web, a badge refers to a graphic that is used to promote an issue or product.

You’ll see two badges on this site. Each blog post has one that allows you to bookmark the entry at sites like Del.icio.us, Reddit, Technorati and others. There is another one on my About page that links to my LinkedIn profile. If you read my other two blogs, empireofgeek.com and jonathansanders.net, you’ll see me promoting the EFF, or Electronic Frontier Foundation, with web badges.

Web badges allow you to help promote things that are important to you. On the flip side, creating badges for customers to put on their sites is a great way to promote your brand. If people like your product, they will absolutely want to promote you. It is a very easy way to advertise, and it costs almost nothing.

Using Stock Photography

Posted on September 15, 2008 by Jonathan

There used to be either really inexpensive or really expensive ways to add images to your website. On the expensive end, places like Adobe Stock Photos could cost over a hundred dollars for a small 4×6 photo. On the inexpensive end, you could take your own photos for free.

For most small businesses, spending lots of money on single digital images simply isn’t cost effective. However, taking photos yourself presents its own challenges. If the photos you take aren’t good, they can make sure site look bad.

In the last few years, several low cost stock photography sites have sprung up. These provide viable alternatives, and make your site look professional. One site I use is iStockPhoto. Small web optimized photos can cost as little as $1 to $2 dollars. They even have vector graphics and video to spice up your website.

Use whichever service you want, but do consider adding stock photography to your site. It can really make a difference.

Use Google Analytics

Posted on September 8, 2008 by Jonathan

Website owners all have the same question: who is visiting my site? Knowing your audience is the best way to create a successful website. Google has a free tool that will help you see who is viewing your site.

I use Google Analytics for all of my websites, and I’m able to see what my readership consists of. If I wanted to appeal to a tech-savvy audience, I would be able to see what kind of browsers they were using on what operating systems. If I wanted to target a specific geographic location, I would be able to see if my advertising is bringing in visitors from that location.

There are some limitations to GA. If an individual uses certain ad filtering programs and extensions, the results for that user can be blocked. People that often clear their cookies can also be missed. Despite these shortcomings, the benefits make Google Analytics a vital tool.

Why Would You Blog?

Posted on September 3, 2008 by Jonathan

This is a great question. Many of my clients tell me they want a blog, but don’t really understand what it is, or why they want it.

First, let me define the term “blog”. It is a place on a website that is continually updated with new, relevant content, and it often contains pictures, video, links, etc. An important aspect of a blog is “pinging”. This is what makes it a blog versus a static page. Pinging is where you link to a service that notifies the search engines that you have new content.

A website has many uses, but I’ll highlight two. One use is as a brochure. You directly lead people to the site, and you don’t rely on people to “find” you on Google. The second is just the opposite. You want people to find your site. You rely on leads from search engines for business.

This second use is where blogging may be very helpful. By maintaining a regularly updated blog, you are telling Google and Yahoo you have new fresh content. This drives up page ranking, and increases the leads you receive from search engines.

When telling your webmaster you want to setup a blog, make sure you understand exactly what you’re asking for. This will help you to know what you really want to accomplish.

The Benefits of Using Tags

Posted on August 20, 2008 by Jonathan

One aspect of Web 2.0 that has been most useful are “tags”. By tagging posts or pictures, you can make them easy to access. All you need to do is think of how people might search for your content, and then add a tag. Multiple tags are helpful, although I wouldn’t go overboard.

If I write an article about the newest iPhone, I would give it these tags: iphone, apple, 3g, at&t. This way, when someone enters a search for iphone or apple iphone, they will find that article easily.

By tagging accurately, you can enable quick and useful searches. This helps in two ways.

You can promote certain articles by tagging with specific words or phrases.
People are able to find what they’re looking for quickly. If people find useful information quickly, they’ll come back to your site often.

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