Patent ID: 8914494

Claim:
A method for user self-directed management of computing resources in a computing environment, the method comprising: providing a stealth mode wherein a user is unaware of a monitoring module and a transparent mode wherein the user is aware of the monitoring module; in the stealth mode, providing guidelines to the monitoring module installed on a first computer, the guidelines governing computing resource management by the user of the first computer having the computing resources; in the stealth mode, monitoring utilization parametrics that are indicative of the computing resource management by the user; in the stealth mode, transferring data relative to the utilization parametrics over a network from the monitoring module to a processing module installed on a second computer; based upon the data, generating a baseline user computing resource management profile at the processing module; based upon the guidelines, the utilization parametrics, and the profile, providing a visual indicator in the transparent mode on the first computer for the user, the visual indicator indicating utilization of a computing element of the computing resources; in the transparent mode, after providing the visual indicator and continuing to monitor the utilization parametrics, providing an option to the user to turn the visual indicator ON and OFF; in the transparent mode, after providing the visual indicator, continuing to monitor the utilization parametrics that are indicative of the computing resource management by the user; in the transparent mode, transferring additional data relative to the utilization parametrics over the network from the monitoring module to the processing module; based upon the additional data, generating a user computing resource management report at the processing module; and comparing the user computing resource management report to the baseline user computing resource management profile such that an administrator of the network that is an individual other than the user measures user self-directed computing resource behavioral management.