# Word Reference and Google



## GoranBcn

Hi there,

I have a question regarding this forum and google itself.
 Does every thread that we start here appear on the following days on google search engine? I'm asking this because I have recently started some threads ("Biti Htjeti", "Obratno ili obrnuto", "Complet/complert", etc) in the Slavic languages Forum and Catalan forum respectively. Afterwards, I was really surprised because I found them on google. So, if you look for either "obratno ili obrnuto", "Biti Htjeti", or "complet/complert" on google, my threads from WR will be on the top of the search results.
It's a good option to promote WR Site, but I've removed my MSN and SKYPE account from my WR profile because I don't want to be "famous" on the internet.  
 How does this work? Are all the threads started by us added to google database or are they there just there temporarily and then they are removed? I guess this question is only for the administrator.

What about your threads? 

Thanks

Goran


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## cuchuflete

The administrator can provide more details, if needed.  Most or all of the major search engines have a "spider" capture the contents of the public forums.  I believe that personal profiles are not included.  The frequency with which Google, or another, search engine visits and records is probably, daily, but that is entirely up to the search engine's owner.  WR has no control of the frequency with which such recordings are made.  

You may contact Google directly for more information about their practices and policies.


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## GoranBcn

cuchuflete said:


> I believe that personal profiles are not included.



You are right, they are not included, but if a post is visited after having been found on Google, then it's easy to click on someone's profile.  Anyway, thanks for your reply.

Goran


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## Jana337

I do not know anything about how spiders work. I think that the excellent performance in Google is mainly due to the enormously large traffic that WR (dictionaries, not the forum) experiences. Google boasts its objectivity, so it is hardly Mike's PR trick. 

Slavic languages are relatively small, and it usually takes not more than 3-4 days for our thread to get to the top. German seems to need 5-7 days. But I may be wrong because (1) I performed just a couple of observations and (2) long ago.

Jana


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## Moogey

Search engine spiders are computer programs that visit websites (they visit a site almost exactly how we do except it's a computer program going to the site, not a person) and record all the data necessary to index them in their databases. Smart spiders detect how often content changes on a website and a website that's constantly updated (i.e., WR) will be searched by a spider more often.

Spiders can only see posts and forums, nothing else (not users' profiles and such). This website can detect whether or not a spider is on it and if so, gives it a different webpage than it gives us (that's how the software keeps the spiders from seeing profiles and such while we can).

-M


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## Alxmrphi

Why are you so bothered that people can read your profile here, but if they come through google, you don't want that?


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## Tatzingo

Alex_Murphy said:


> Why are you so bothered that people can read your profile here, but if they come through google, you don't want that?



Well, there's a difference Alex. Most people who come here are linguists or have a language related query. If they look up a user profile, it will be to PM/email that user with a query/to say hi... or they are just plain curious. 
On the other hand, those who surf the internet  might see this as a marketing/spamming opportunity... they aren't governed by the WR rules and our Mods can't really get at them either!!

Tatz.


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## Alxmrphi

Ok, so it is having an email addy on here? That's what he doesn't want people to see?


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## GoranBcn

Alex_Murphy said:


> Why are you so bothered that people can read your profile here, but if they come through google, you don't want that?



Why?  Many people (around 15-20) have added me to their MSN or Skype contact list in these two weeks because they wanted me to teach them Croatian or Spanish. They said they had found my email details here. I've also received many spam messages. So I guess those are good reasons. Don't you think? 

Goran


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## zebedee

GoranBcn said:


> Why?  Many people (around 15-20) have added me to their MSN or Skype contact list in these two weeks because they wanted me to teach them Croatian or Spanish. They said they had found my email details here. I've also received many spam messages. So I guess those are good reasons. Don't you think?
> 
> Goran


 
Goran, if you put your MSN and Skype address 'out there', you have no control over who decides to use them. A similar example from the real world would be someone driving around in a van with their company's telephone number written on it. Great advertisement but completely impossible to stop people making crank calls if they feel like it.

If you want more privacy, take your addresses off your User's Profile and only give them to people who contact you through a Private Message and you know that you can trust their intentions. It's common sense really.


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## cuchuflete

For those who want more technical detail about how Google uses 'bots' or robots or spiders to 'crawl' a site, and the limitations to what it is allowed to capture, have a look here.


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## timpeac

But I know that google does have cached member profiles, because I've noticed that when I've searched on occasion. I think that spiders must sometimes be able to get profile information therefore.

In fact this is another reason not to put your email directly in the profile since there are some spiders which will look out such information to add you to spam listings.


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## Etcetera

By the way, that's how I found WR forums: I was looking for something in Google, and one of the search results showed me a link to a thread in the English Only Forum. So I came here, looked at the forums, and decided to register.


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## mkellogg

Yes, be careful what you publish in public webpages like these here. 

I have many of the pages here (most) restricted from the search engines.
http://forum.wordreference.com/robots.txt
I think I've mainly left only showthread.php, forumdisplay.php and the index page to be indexed by the major search engines.

Mike


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## Moogey

Mike, I believe that was unnecessary because the vB software knows whenever a search engine is on any of its pages and shows it the "Spider Page" rather than what we see 

-M


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## cuchuflete

timpeac said:


> But I know that google does have cached member profiles, because I've noticed that when I've searched on occasion.



I can't find one.

Google search:  wordreference  "member profile" site:forum.wordreference.com  yields 7 hits, but none is a profile page.


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## timpeac

cuchuflete said:


> I can't find one.
> 
> Google search: wordreference "member profile" site:forum.wordreference.com yields 7 hits, but none is a profile page.


Yes, I think I was wrong. What I have probably seen is things like "xxxx is offline" and old sigs which are actually cached in the main messages as well as the profiles.


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## natasha2000

zebedee said:


> Goran, if you put your MSN and Skype address 'out there', you have no control over who decides to use them. A similar example from the real world would be someone driving around in a van with their company's telephone number written on it. Great advertisement but completely impossible to stop people making crank calls if they feel like it.
> 
> If you want more privacy, take your addresses off your User's Profile and only give them to people who contact you through a Private Message and you know that you can trust their intentions. It's common sense really.


 

I agree with this. There are some things that are simply uncontrollable, not by moderators, nor administrators,nor anyone, and they require your personal attention. If you put some private data on Internet, then you should be aware of consequences. I never put my msn or skype or email on any place in Internet unless it is not protected. It is just as that tv spot about traffic consciousness, you would know it, since you live in Spain - Traffic authorities can make a lot of rules, signailsations etc.. in order to protect you on the road, but they cannot drive for you.... A forum administrators can chose the system with tools that can give you some kind of protection on Internet, but a certain grade of responsability is also expected from you.

On the other hand, I find the fact that oru threads and discussions can be found on Google very useful. As a matter of fact, this is how I found WR...


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