HOW-TO: Map an FTP Site to a Drive Letter!
Earlier I was trying to set up a scheduled backup using the Windows XP Backup service, but I soon realized my FTP server wasn't among the allowed backup destinations. This particular limitation has frustrated me before, too.... why can't I natively backup to an FTP server, or more specifically, map an FTP site to a drive letter to save from applications?
There are some possible security risks, of course, but my FTP server is locked down tight, and I'm not saving the passwords.
There are some commercial applications, namely WebDrive [South River Technologies, $49.95] that do this, but I'm a big beliver in 'bigger is rarely better', and wanted something more OEM-style.
Enter Novell's NetDrive. Essentially the same as WebDrive, it's small [under 6mb], fast, and easy. It can connect to all manner of web resources, including Samba servers, and supports md5 password encryption, etc.
I can now setup remote backups to FTP, and even save files from Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Word, or any other program, [including P2P apps, although it would be unbearably slow] DIRECTLY to my [or any other] server!
NEW AIM 'Triton' Beta & gmail-style 2GB Webmail from AOL
The new AIM Triton Bea is availible to all registered AIM/AOL users via the link below. Its pretty darned neat, although its becoming a bit bulky, as well as very yahoo-like in it's functionality. Give it a shot!
Also, AOL is offering 2GB WebMail to compete with gmail, and a 100MB file storage account, which is like the Yahoo! Briefcase.
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AIM 2GB Web Mail
100MB File Storage
AOL Instant Messenger 'Triton' Beta
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BMK Media Demo Store 1.0 Launch
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The War on Spyware
The War on Spyware
If you have turned on a computer lately, chances are good that you have encountered the latest computer risk, dubbed “spyware”. A recent government-backed study conducted by the National Cyber Security Alliance revealed that nearly 80% of all U.S. household PC’s are infected with spyware.
What is spyware?
Spyware is a piece of software installed unknowingly on a users machine. It is usually poorly written, causing slowdowns and freeze-ups, and can cause serious data loss. Some spyware can install itself when you visit a web page with special code embedded in it, but mostly it is bundled with software downloaded from the internet that may have been advertised as ‘free’. Well, as you might guess, nothing is really free. Spyware is usually designed to record anonymous information about the user` of the machine it is installed on, such as the type of web pages they visit, or which programs they use and how often. However, it could easily be designed to record credit card info or emails, too.
This information is then sold to companies that will advertise to you based on your habits and interests. Sometimes the spyware itself can show these advertisements in relation to a site you are visiting, say by showing you an ad for a car loan if you are on a car dealer’s website. It is a highly effective (and extremely lucrative) tactic, but this unwanted intrusion causes more trouble than any of the supposed ‘valuable offers’ are worth.
How Did I Get It?
Often when I visit a client, they will blame it on a child or an employee. In truth, spyware can fool or get past anyone, since some requires no user intervention at all to install itself. To make my point, I ran the donation-ware product SpyBot Search & Destroy (see link below) just prior to writing this article. 13 infections were found. It is important to note that I update my anti-virus software daily (That’s MUCH more frequently than most users), and practice obsessive spyware-avoidance techniques.. I also use a firewall, and visit Microsoft Windows Update (windowsupdate.microsoft.com) regularly to install system updates. This is very important, because the Windows operating system has several serious flaws which allow unscrupulous spyware writers to access your machine and your data using special links in web sites.
How do I get rid of it?
There are many offerings out there, but two of the best products are actually free for home users (business users must pay) I recommend using both these products, to be sure. AdAware (
www.LavasoftUSA.com) allows full system scans and a special, deeper clean for NTFS formatted drives (Such as Windows XP). Spybot S&D (
www.safer-networking.org) offers a full scan, as well as several immunization options to prevent the infections proactively. If this doesn’t work, you may need to back up your information and restore your computer using the disks provided with it. You may also want to visit the NCSA (
www.staysafeonline.info) for a free risk assessment test and tips on protecting yourself.
William Kinirons is the president of BMK Media, a web and graphic design company based in Coconut Creek that also offers in-home computer hardware & software support. Additionally, he serves as Vice President & CIO of Box35.com, Inc., a low cost, reliable managed web hosting company located in Fort Lauderdale. For more information on web design, onsite computer software support, or managed web hosting call BMK Media at (954) 818-2010.
The above article was published in the January 2005 issue of "Parkland Life" Magazine
BMKMedia.com v 3.0b now available!
It's a new year, a new day, and now, a new website. Check out BMKMedia.com's new site, with forums, download links, and as always, the best web design and hosting around. See you there!
Microsoft Front Page: The best way to lose customers. Ever.
Ok, here's the deal. I'm tired of Microsoft. They make crappy, crappy software. If you want your web site to make a statement other than "My computer came with Microsoft Front Page and I didn't know better!", do yourself a favor. Buy the proper tools for the job.
I am at a point where I can spot a site developed in Front Page within 5 seconds or less of loading the page... And unfortunately, I've yet to be impressed by a single one of them. As a matter of fact, I'm going to hold a contest. Prove me wrong. (See below for details)
Not only are they generally covered in horrid colors and full of clip art style buttons, they require a specialized host set up to display these pages becasue they do not follow web standards. This may not only cost you more for hosting, but its almost certain to cost you customers who choose not to use Internet Explorer as their web browser, since many Front Page effects are IE-only.
The links below are to the tools I use every day, and the only ones you will ever need to do it right the first time. Almost all the products below offer free trials. (Remember, software piracy hurts everyone, don't do it!)
(Links Open In New Window)
JASC Paint Shop Pro / Animation Shop
Ultra Edit
Macromedia Dreamweaver
Macromedia Flash
Adobe Photoshop CS Suite w/ ImageReady
CONTEST
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I will offer anyone who sends me a link to an impressive Front Page site a free Google Gmail account, whose membership is currently 'by invitation only' by curent members, which I am. I will also refer winning the submitter to a FREE MONTH of audible.com to download ANY TWO audiobooks completely free. The audible.com offer DOES require a credit card, but you will simply need to cancel anytime within the first month to avoid being charged the second month's subscription fee.
(I have just downloaded the last 2 Janet Evanovich books and i'm listening to them now.)
Are FREE iPods REALLY FREE? - An impressed review
So what's the deal with this FREE iPod offer? A new web site, FreeiPods.com, has been offering these 20GB beauties, as well as the smaller mini iPods to anyone who completes a trial offer and gets just 5 friends to do the same.
The concept is simple: Offer a high ticket item for 'free', and have the companies who offer the free trials foot the bill. If you like their service, the small cost (to them) of an iPod is worth far less then a potential customer for life.
Plus, the offers are all from reputable companies, some of whom even PAY YOU! That's right, you read correctly. I completed a free trial offer with InFone.com, which has NO monthly fees (and only costs money if you use the service, which I have no intention of doing since my Nextel plan offers a similar service). THEY SENT ME A $10.00 AMAZON.COM GIFT CERTIFICATE! I just bought Mars Attacks on DVD and sent that cute girl in the pic with me a random Indie Rock CD (surprises make her smile) for an out-of-pocket expense of $0.80, including shipping... now that's what I call a good deal.
I initially read about the FreeiPods.com site on Wired.com or the CNN site. It seems that this site is actually legit, and people are actually GETTING these iPods. I am really happy that some marketing guy somewhere realized if you don't screw people, they might buy your product. Now alls I have to do is get three more friends to sign up and i'll be in MP3 heaven. Audible.com, here I come!
If anyone has actually GOTTEN a free iPod from this offer, drop me a line, I'd like to know how long you had to wait, and if it was in fact brand newlike they say.
Annoying Web Design ("THE NO MORE BACKGROUND MUSIC" RANT)
In this article, I will discuss one of the most annoying, amatuer, (and potentially illegal) mistakes people make when creating websites. Now, before you send me emails, I know lots of people use them on their personal sites, that's fine. People are free to enjoy bad taste in the privacy of their own web space.
This article is geared more towards the professional or commerce sites. Certainly there is a place for sound everywhere, including these sites; It's a fact that people respond better to sensory feedback. We are talking about what is most likely already driving you insane... THE BACKGOUND MIDI!
I have come accross several sites in my surfing, including a well-known boat manufacturer (who shall remain nameless becasuse they make a great boat) who uses Jimmy Buffet's Cheesburger In Paradise to annoy visitors into a buying frenzy. Not only are the computer-generated notes of a MIDI file slightly off-key, you may even open yourself up to intellectual property infringement, and, as recent events prove, the RIAA doesn NOT take this lightly.
The bottom line with background music is this: If your customer is busy nodding away to that MIDI file of 'Eye of the Tiger' you spent hours searching for, they may forget they are actually supposed to be buying something from you, and leave...I know I would.
There was originally a MIDI file playing in the background as an example, but it annoyed me when I visited my own blog, so it is no more.
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I, Robots.txt - They came, They saw, They Cataloged!
The robots.txt file is a file placed in your web server's root directory (meaing it should be accessible by typing www.yoursite.com/robots.txt) that contains specific details about your site, making a search engine's job much easier, as well as telling it what NOT to index. This is called the 'Robot Exclusion Standard".
The format for the robots.txt file is special. It consists of records. Each record consists of two fields : a User-agent line and one or more Disallow: lines. The format is:
[field] ":" [value]
The following tags are allowed in the robots.txt file, and examples are given for their usage:
- User-agent
The User-agent line specifies the robot. For example:
User-agent: googlebot OR User-agent: * (*=all)
You can find user agent names in your own logs by checking for requests to robots.txt. Most major search engines have short names for their spiders.
Disallow: email.htm OR Disallow: /cgi-bin/
If you leave the Disallow line blank, it indicates that ALL files may be retrieved. At least one disallow line must be present for each User-agent directive to be correct. A completely empty Robots.txt file is the same as if it were not present.
- Any line in the robots.txt that begins with # is considered to be a comment only. The standard allows for comments at the end of directive lines, but this is really bad style:
Disallow: bob #comment
EXAMPLE ROBOTS.TXT FILE:
#Allowing all robots everywhere:
User-agent: *
Disallow:
#This one keeps all those nosy robots out:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /
#The next one bars all robots from the illegal_documents and invoices directories:
User-agent: *
Disallow: /illegal_documents/
Disallow: /invoices/
#This one bans Google from poking around:
User-agent: Google
Disallow: /
#This one bans keeps googlebot from indexing the all_my_credit_card_numbers.html file:
User-agent: googlebot
Disallow: all_my_credit_card_numbers.html
Once you are finished banning and allowing robots, run your file through the
Robots.txt file validator. Let me know how you did!
Using Custom Favorites Icons
I was sitting at my desk earlier reseaching FreeBSD hosting control panels, when I noticed the icons in my favorites list. It occurred to me that this feature is neglected far too often by developers as well as Microsoft themselves.
If you are unfamilair with the favorites icon, it is eaxactly that: A webmaster selectable icon file (*.ico) that appears in the user's favorites list:
Thats an extremely powerful tool. Imagine the following scenario:
You attract Bob to your site through a means of advertising. Bob sees the product he wants at a price he likes, but he gets distracted. So he leaves.
But you, the savvy genuis you are, were waiting for Bob. Weeks earlier you came across this article and created a favorties icon. The icon is what brings Bob back. Every time he accesses his favorites list, he sees your full color icon in a list of colorless text!
Suddenly, Bob remebers! He has to buy that back hair remover for his mother's birthday! And he knows just where to find one... YOUR SITE.
Now that you see the potential, lets make one! Here's what you'll need:
The icon size must me set to exactly 16x16 pixels; IE will ignore any other size.
Save the file with the name Favicon.ico, then upload the icon to the root directory of your Web site. Whenever a visitor bookmarks a page, IE then automatically checks the site's root directory for the Favicon.ico file.
You may also specify an individual icon for each page, by using the following code in the head tag:
< href="http://www.yoursite.com/bookmark.ico" rel="SHORTCUT ICON">
A visitor to your site will see the shortcut icon when they add your home page to his Favorites menu. When he does, the icon will appear in the Favorites menu beside your site's name, and it will also appear in IE's Address bar when the visitor accesses your site via that menu.
Thats it!
A Word of Warning to All Web Site Owners
When you say "I need a hosting company.", do you know what you're actually saying? In a sense, you are saying you intend to entrust your entire online presence, your profits, and even your customers sensitive billing information to (in most cases) a complete stranger.
Think about that for a moment. As part owner of a hosting company, I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt that any company you choose to host your web site has COMPLETE access to ANY information you place on their servers. In addition to the fact that they physically own them, they also occasionally have a need to perform various maintenence tasks that might put them face to face with your entire directory structure, which will list each and every file you have stored.
Unfortunately, most small business owners and indviduals fail to consider the potential ramifications fully.
I have a good friend who found a 'bargain' hosting company, who promised 99.9% uptime, as well as rock-bottom domain name pricing, for an amazingly low monthly cost of just $9.99/mo! To make a long story short, the 99.9% uptime garuntee was shot when 3 days after she signed up, she experienced hours of intermittent availability for over two weeks. She finally tired of this, and attempted to have her domain transfered to another host, only to find out her 'bargain' host would not release her domain name to her. As this host happened to be located internationally, and also stopped responding to e-mails, her domain name is tied up in arbitration with ICANN to this day
I have plenty of stories like this, and time and time again I ask how they came to choose such a disreputable company. They infallably state "Price.", with the sheepish look of remorse and a lesson well learned.
The bottom line is this: If you don't have any experience with the internet or web hosting, GET A REFERRAL! The chances are extremely great that someone you know has or knows someone who has a web site. Ask them what they think, how much they pay, and ask them about the relationship they have with their host. And ask what they charge to do maintenence and other tasks.
I know of one host who actually charges $85 an hour... and they charge $39.95 a month for a hosting plan WITHOUT a database. Do the math... If you need them to re-upload a SINGLE file (They do not pro-rate their fee), it will cost you more then what they charge you monthly to store those files online. It takes less than one minute to upload a static HTML file. If they do it for you, they have made $85 in approx. 2.7 seconds according to the test upload I just did. Wow.
I would be glad to give advice on choosing a good host to anyone who email's me, or, if you'll pardon the plug, consider Box35.com, Inc. for a great deal on hosting.(We even offer $8 domain names with the purchase of any hosting plan!)
