[ubuntu-in] Some help with rsync

[ramnarayan.k at gmail.com]

Hi

I use rsync to back up my work regularly.

the command used for the /home directory is
rsync -av /home/ram/ /media/backup_disk/bak_home/

this however backups all the hidden folders as well - some of them of 
course are useful to have backed up but in most cases they seem to take 
up valuable disk space. Like the .beagle directory which runs into GB's.

So how can i avoid backing up the entire . sections (the hidden directories)

Second i don't use (haven't used) the -z compression command in rsync - 
if i were to do so now what effect would it have on the backup - would 
it make the entire backup compressed or only the updated section. Over 
the few years i have on my back up lots of stuff thats deleted from the 
place from where i backed up (so as to create space on the original 
/home section) So am wondering what effect will this revised -z command 
have.

Any tips / advice

thanks
ram