dnforum posts archived on search engines. - DNForum - Domain Sales, Domain Forum, Domain Appraisals, Domain Registrars

**RMF** · 03-16-2004, 05:35 AM

This seems new, perhaps after the upgrade. It appears that almost all posts on dnforum are available to anyone on search engines (At least on google and excite). It doesn't really bother me, but seems a little strange. I thought our posts were protected from search engines. Correct me if I'm wrong.........

RMF

**Jon** · 03-16-2004, 05:44 AM

Thats a new feature of VB3, it archives all the posts with spider friendly URLs. I dont see a problem with it.
The only thing that it will do is drive more traffic to the site. Correct me if im wrong?

**hellstrom** · 03-16-2004, 09:28 AM

I think it's a bad idea to let search engines spider the forum. End users could lower their bid when they see what the reseller price for a domain has been.
Also if you are in a dispute, posts regarding that domain could be just against you etc.

And we paid $50 to be able to access some information.

**StockDoctor** · 03-16-2004, 09:57 AM

I agree. Not good to have these posts on the search engines.

**Mr Webname** · 03-16-2004, 10:08 AM

The archive is available from here and gives you what you would normally get acording to your membership. Doing a search on Google will bring only a couple of DNF links and clicking on them will only give you what you normally get when logged in at your level.
If you log out and click on a Google link, the most you will get is up to Gold, which is free for anyone to view anyway - selling forums (Platinum) are not visible from these links without logging in.

**JMJ** · 03-16-2004, 01:01 PM

MrWebname I think the concern is someone (enduser) doing a search for a domain being sold and finding the reseller price in these engines. I personally go back after a few days and erase my old posts. I have quit posting prices on forums that don't allow editing of the threads for this very reason. This senario has already happened to me.

**Mr Webname** · 03-16-2004, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoltHost

MrWebname I think the concern is someone (enduser) doing a search for a domain being sold and finding the reseller price in these engines. I personally go back after a few days and erase my old posts. I have quit posting prices on forums that don't allow editing of the threads for this very reason. This senario has already happened to me.

Feel free to correct me with evidence if I am wrong but my understanding is that this is not possible with the Platinum Forums unless the end user is a Member - non-members are confronted with a login page.
So Platinum Forums (sales forums) cannot be viewed by none members from any search engine link as a login is required - test it out yourself.

**JMJ** · 03-16-2004, 01:10 PM

It still shows what is in the post in the search engine. Alot of my names are indexed from posts on sites with the reseller price right along side them.

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Biologist.biz%22 give you an example but I figured this out long ago so you won't see prices.

**Mr Webname** · 03-16-2004, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoltHost

It still shows what is in the post in the search engine. Alot of my names are indexed from posts on sites with the reseller price right along side them.

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Biologist.biz%22 give you an example but I figured this out long ago so you won't see prices.

I don't see any Platinum Forum content from that link, hence no sales forum content. However, I agree that it would be better not to have any content indexed.

**JMJ** · 03-16-2004, 01:22 PM

I'm not sure about the sales forum. I never had a problem with it here mostly other forums. I would just hate for it to be a problem if they were getting indexed. If they're not then all would be good I guess.

**Nexus** · 03-16-2004, 01:34 PM

This website was specifically tweaked at one point so as to improve search engine indexing. Other domain forums have specifically implemented blocking for searche engines. It's an interesting clash of priorities. Popular returns in searches, bring more visitors, but the caching and exposure of content doesn't necessarily serve the interests of those posting in this type of venue. Interesting.

~ Nexus

Prosperous · 03-16-2004, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoltHost

I personally go back after a few days and erase my old posts. I have quit posting prices on forums that don't allow editing of the threads for this very reason.

Same here!

The indexing of domain/webhosting forums by search engines is the reason why I often list my domains for sale without the tld listed behind each name, like:

.COM:
exampledomain
andanotherone
andonandonandon

.ORG:
1234abcd5678
amalmostdone
thiswasthelastone

That way, someone doing an (exact) search for one of my names in a search engine will not come across them on the forums. Plus, listing names like that may also avoid spiders harvesting my domain names for spam purposes.

.

Banned: navpros · 03-17-2004, 01:51 AM

I absolutely cannot stand for forums to be spidered. Nothing I hate more than seeing my posts and comments being made visible in SE's regardless of what the scenario is.

I completely understand the traffic aspect of it from an admins point-of-view, but I feel it does more harm than good for buyers/sellers in this industry. As an example, I believe that the domain name "namemart.com and the site" are being offered for sale here in the form of an auction at this time. Keep in mind that I am only using this as an example, but if the owner were trying to contact an enduser (for any domain) the potential buyer if "savy" enough could find reseller value of it in a flash if he did a quick search. In fact, type in "namemart" only into yahoo and it will give you 20 or so returns on first page alone and most are from Reseller Forums etc. I have clicked on almost all 20 links and it clearly shows detailed info without prompting for user login. Pricing is even mentioned in some forums.

I'm not saying ALL forums have problems in this area, but I am saying that for some time now I have been keeping most of my significant names out of the forums alltogether. I mainly focus on endusers now for personal sales, and of course I still target just about any audience for brokerage services.

Anyway, that is just my 2 cents worth.

**Mr Webname** · 03-17-2004, 02:14 AM

Try a search using your own usernames and you will soon see which forums are the problem ones - my experience is that you won't find much from DNForum.

**RMF** · 03-18-2004, 05:27 AM

I think blocking the appraisal forum from search engines would be a good idea.

RMF

**Jer.Net** · 03-19-2004, 02:53 PM

I agree with the uncomfortability of this issue. If you are trying to sell an active site, that has a lot of users, but you don't want them to know you are selling it, it could bring a lot of alarm. I had this problem with a huge site once before (it was getting 15k uniques a day). All it took is for one of the users to stumble across my sales post thru a search engine, and all hell broke loose!
Word spreads like wildfire, especially online. I had literally hundreds of everyday users basically boycott the site. Nobody wanted to 'add' any extra quality to the site, if I was just going to sell it anyways.
What a mess

**ReignDomain** · 03-19-2004, 03:22 PM

This is not good. Hey administrator, you've got to do something about it.

**Mr Webname** · 03-19-2004, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NetProwler

I agree with the uncomfortability of this issue. If you are trying to sell an active site, that has a lot of users, but you don't want them to know you are selling it, it could bring a lot of alarm. I had this problem with a huge site once before (it was getting 15k uniques a day). All it took is for one of the users to stumble across my sales post thru a search engine, and all hell broke loose!
Word spreads like wildfire, especially online. I had literally hundreds of everyday users basically boycott the site. Nobody wanted to 'add' any extra quality to the site, if I was just going to sell it anyways.
What a mess

Was this as a result of a DNForum post archive?

**Jer.Net** · 03-19-2004, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Webname

Was this as a result of a DNForum post archive?

I don't think so, it was awhile back. It did teach me a lesson tho. If I have a 'serious' site to sell, I will make members get the URL through a pm system.

Nontheless, it is an eye opener.

**.com.net.org** · 03-20-2004, 03:21 PM

Unregistered Users can see all the threads in any forum.
It's just they cannot see posts in a thread.
But if they're able to see the topic, it's enough and with the help of ALT, they can see some of the thread content.

Maybe the admin has applied wrong permissions on the platinum section.