Bing

[Charles Nicol]

Noticed that the Bing Bot is accessing the site. I do not have any problems with this, but i know that the Google bot is blocked.
Just thought i would mention it !!

Charles

[Pete Eeles]

The more bots the better, since they're the very things that index the website and plonk the results in search engines!

Why do you think the Google bot is blocked?

Cheers,

- Pete

[Charles Nicol]

The more bots the better, since they're the very things that index the website and plonk the results in search engines!

Why do you think the Google bot is blocked?

Cheers,

- Pete

maybe it's just the forum part of the site which is inaccessible:

i just searched for "Raison d'etre for UK Butterflies " and got no hits

[Pete Eeles]

Ah - I see what you mean now! Yes, it would appear that Google doesn't navigate into the depths of the forums. This can be fixed, apparently, by creating a sitemap. But this wouldn't pick up new threads unless the sitemap is continually updated. Will add it to the list of things to do

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

It must be doing something since if you type in the name of any British butterfly at least one of the front page links will direct to this site.

[Padfield]

I see no advantage, and some disadvantages, in making the forums publicly searchable through Google, rather than privately searchable through this site as at present. My vote would be to retain the status quo.

Within the site, the raison d'être for UK Butterflies is easily searched and found - why should we make any effort to hang it out elsewhere?

Guy

[Pete Eeles]

It must be doing something since if you type in the name of any British butterfly at least one of the front page links will direct to this site.

Indeed! However, Google is grabbing that information from the main website pages, not from the forums.

Yes - a very popular site indeed

Cheers,

- Pete

[David M]

I see no advantage, and some disadvantages, in making the forums publicly searchable through Google, rather than privately searchable through this site as at present. My vote would be to retain the status quo.

What disadvantages do you think apply, Guy?

[Padfield]

I see no advantage, and some disadvantages, in making the forums publicly searchable through Google, rather than privately searchable through this site as at present. My vote would be to retain the status quo.

What disadvantages do you think apply, Guy?

I suspect you will find this highly irrational - and it probably is - but here goes. I think of the forums rather like a club where people with a common interest share ideas, have discussions and sometimes express strong or heartfelt opinions. It's an open club, but I intuitively prefer people to walk in the door and express their community of purpose before listening to conversations rather than just eavesdropping, or gatecrashing, or whatever, while researching Richard of the House of Ardennes, Duke of Burgundy.

Obviously, we all post on the forums knowing it is a public space; but we also do it as if we were discussing with friends and I don't see any reason to go out of our way to make sure anybody and everybody can hear what we have to say without even passing through the main portal.

Perhaps I'm out of touch with the modern world...

Guy

[David M]

Perhaps I'm out of touch with the modern world...

No more so than I, but then the reality of modern life has rather superseded the traditions that applied 20+ years ago.

Personally, I hate mobile phones and fondly remember those days where we all lived perfectly adequately without them. I possess one today because to not do so would put me at a distinct disadvantage given that practically everyone else uses them. I suppose in the 40s and 50s ordinary people would have been able to say the same thing about cars.

The internet has its downsides, but generally it is a wonderful tool for providing information and knowledge. I'm prepared to tolerate the occasional accidental wanderer in order to enjoy the positive benefits that this site (and others like it) brings.

[Charles Nicol]

I see no advantage, and some disadvantages, in making the forums publicly searchable through Google, rather than privately searchable through this site as at present. My vote would be to retain the status quo.

What disadvantages do you think apply, Guy?

I suspect you will find this highly irrational - and it probably is - but here goes. I think of the forums rather like a club where people with a common interest share ideas, have discussions and sometimes express strong or heartfelt opinions. It's an open club, but I intuitively prefer people to walk in the door and express their community of purpose before listening to conversations rather than just eavesdropping, or gatecrashing, or whatever, while researching Richard of the House of Ardennes, Duke of Burgundy.

Obviously, we all post on the forums knowing it is a public space; but we also do it as if we were discussing with friends and I don't see any reason to go out of our way to make sure anybody and everybody can hear what we have to say without even passing through the main portal.

Perhaps I'm out of touch with the modern world...

Guy

I agree that this is a pleasantly civilised corner of the internet... very few instances of bad behaviour or trolling during the time i have been around

Charles

[millerd]

I don't even know what trolling is...

Dave

[Charles Nicol]

I don't even know what trolling is...

Dave

trolling is posting with the intention to deceive or annoy other board users.

for instance if someone deliberately posted a picture of a Cleopatra in the section marked Brimstone that would be a troll event.

Or if someone pretended to be French when they were not French.

Charles

[millerd]

Merci beaucoup. Je n'avais aucune idée...

Dave

[David M]

Trolling generally results from tribalism, and thankfully a website dedicated to butterflies over the length and breadth of the UK represents a poor medium for those with malicious intent to take advantage of.

There have been instances of academia v enthusiasts on here but this has never developed into serious abuse hurling.

Even Martin White is not guilty of trolling - he posts what he thinks (and to be fair he is extremely knowledgeable) but those who wish to take issue with him do so for reasons unrelated to personal vanity or hidden agendas.

This is a website where people with polarised views debate rather than get personal.