The Lost Knowledge Blog for Web Design

I’m sure you’ve come across this scenario at least once.

Either you’re trying to install a new program or copy some files, but the system hits you with that lovely ERROR noise or if you’re lucky at the very least a little box saying insufficient space available.

So you think to yourself if only I didn’t have to go through all my folders and try to find out where the space is being taken up, because it’s going to take ages to do that. If only there was a program I could use to find out the folder sizes and files at an easy glance. At least then I can go to the biggest potential trouble spots quickly.

This is something all operating should have a better version of in my opinion. Anyway we don’t need to depend on them as other people out there know that this needs a better solution and thankfully have delivered.

For now the solutions below are for Windows only machines, I will do some research to see if there are Apple Mac versions (if you know of any please get in touch), I don’t think the Linux community need my help on this subject

http://windirstat.info

This is a fairly comprehensive one and the is the software I’m using on my desktop right now.It’s got a really nice way of visualising the folders and files once it’s done it’s scan. it even colour codes types of files for you that you can click an it highlights then in the box below – Genius!

Cost: Nada, nothing it’s completely FREE!

http://foldersize.codeplex.com

This one isn’t as detailed as the one above but it does have the advantage of being portable, which means it doesn’t need to be installed. So you can stick on an external hard hdrive or Thumb Drive and run it on any windows computer.

Cost: Again Nada, nothing it’s completely FREE!

I hope that this is useful to you.

Alan Fair

*EDIT 1: It has been brought to my attention that not all accounts have this option yet, but it should appear soon*

*EDIT 2: I’ve noticed some accounts with the Intelligence section now added to UK accounts, so you should now be able to take advantage of the information below*

Ok so you’ve got Google Analytics and you know generally how to use it. Well Google have added a new feature called the ‘Intellegence Engine’, here’s what google have to say about the subject.

Analytics Intelligence: We’re launching the initial phase of an algorithmic driven Intelligence engine to Google Analytics. Analytics Intelligence will provide automatic alerts of significant changes in the data patterns of your site metrics and dimensions over daily, weekly and monthly periods. For instance, Intelligence could call out a 300% surge in visits from YouTube referrals last Tuesday or let you know bounce rates of visitors from Virginia dropped by 70% two weeks ago. Instead of you having to monitor reports and comb through data, Analytics Intelligence alerts you to the most significant information to pay attention to, saving you time and surfacing traffic insights that could affect your business. Now, you can spend your time actually taking action, instead of trying to figure out what needs to be done.

Custom Alerts make it possible for you to tell Google Analytics what to watch for. You can set daily, weekly, and monthly triggers on different dimensions & metrics, and be notified by email or right in the user interface when the changes actually occur.

If you’re not sure about all that here’s a nicely described video of the features it has.

Todays spam email is about Western Union.

This one comes with an attachment called ‘MTSN_87743484.zip’ the content is very plausable, but you should ask the obvious question who is sending you that money. Generally you will know to be expecting it and if you are already expecting money then the totals should be completely different.

Also note that a typical sign of a spam email is the generic ‘Dear Customer’ if they have you’re email address and it involves money the chances are they have your actual name or at the very least a reference number you can check somewhere else.

I’m not familiar with Western Unions methods of transferring money, so I’m not sure how they alert you to the fact that there is money to be collected or if that’s even possible. Maybe the money gets wired direct to an account and the only notification is the person sending you the money telling you or you checking you’re bank statement.

Either way I wouldn’t trust anything that seems to good to be true like this and there are many examples out there.

————————————–

Dear customer.

The amount of money transfer: 1037 USD.

Money is available to withdrawl.

You may find the Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN) and receiver’s details in document attached to this email.

Western Union.

Customer Service.