I still remember the days when spam was just a mystery meat product and the subject of a Monty Python sketch from the 1970’s :). Little did the Monty Python team know that their rather odd skit would be the inspiration for the term used in relation to a plague of the online age. (more…)
Blog spam outpacing email spam
Screen resolution statistics
It’s been a while since I checked on screen resolution statistics in relation to our site visitors, so here’s how the various resolutions stack up based on around 40,000 visits over the last 4-5 days
Preventing directory browsing
Take a run out to your site and enter yoursite.com/images/ – just the name of your images folder, nothing else afterwards except for the trailing /.
If you see a “forbidden” or 403 error message, that’s normal, but if you see a list of files, it means that your server is configured to allow for directory browsing. You’ll notice that any folder that doesn’t have a default document in place will also behave in the same way.
It’s easy to fix; here’s two methods: (more…)
Tell a friend script update
We’ve just updated both versions of our popular Taming the Beast Tell-A-Friend scripts to v1.3 and v2.1; so if you’re using a copy of either from prior to today, I suggest updating. Upgrading is pretty simple – and of course, both scripts are still free :). (more…)
Social networking sites & copyright
I’ve often pondered the fact that YouTube and similar social networking sites appear to have escaped the wrath of copyright related lawsuits. I just put it down to down safe harbor provisions set out for ISPs and similar services in the DMCA (Digital Millenium Copyright Act) which offered them protection.
It looks like they aren’t totally safe after all. (more…)
Voice comment plugin for blogs
My first post on voice comments for blogs seems to have created a lot of interest judging by the number of search engine referrals, so I decided to hunt around a bit more to see if there were any reasonably priced voice commenting services and plugins available. I found one so far, and it’s free! Read on and give it a whirl. (more…)
SSH and Unix commands tutorial
Ever heard a couple of geeks yapping about command line related tasks or adventures and felt the stirrings of Unix envy?
Come in from the cold and get on the path to ubergeekdom.. well, not quite, but the longest journey does begin with a single step :). (more…)
RSS feeds a security risk for users
At the recent Black Hat convention in Las Vegas, the specter of RSS feeds being used for launching attacks on feed subscribers, and consequently affecting even non-subscribers has loomed. (more…)
Voice blog comments?
Here’s an interesting idea – haven’t struck it before. I stumbled across a blog today that gave readers the opportunity to leave a comment via voice; and their comments were then made available for others to listen to. (more…)
File not found, dollars lost
I guess we’ve all experienced the frustration of following a link only to be presented with a “404 – File not found” browser generated error page. Have you checked your web site statistics or server logs recently to see how many instances of this is occuring on your site?
A “File not found” browser message is a sure-fire way of sending potential customers scurrying off your site and to your competition. Here’s some tips for rectifying the problem. (more…)