JowettTalk

Currently Google is not allowed to search the new JowettTalk forum. However, Google will, on some browsers, search the browser cache (that is pages you have recently accessed) and so some JowettTalk pages may appear in your search results.

The search facility on JowettTalk is, I agree, not as good as Google. I will see if it is possible to provide a Google search of JowettTalk public pages without allowing access to the the non-public pages. My understanding (so far) is that this is not possible. Note that JowettTalk is stored in a database and the pages that any search bot wants need to be constructed by the server first. This loads the server and so may slow down your use of it. I have chosen not to allow searching of JowettTalk by search bots. I will see if I can allow only registered users the search capability.

One thing better with the forum search engine is that it highlights the searched for words. A mod is available to do this for external searches (if they were allowed); but I have a dislike of mods!

I will need to revisit the searching of the old JowettTalk as this has not started working yet!

I think I have found the problem with old JowettTalk not being searched. A sitemap previously submitted to Google a couple of years ago was taking precedence over robots.txt. Just waiting for the new submission to synchronise.

There was a noticable 25% rise in hits on jowett.org over the last week. Now sitting about 750 per day.

What are your thoughts about allowing the search engines to rummage through JowettTalk? Currently they cannot.

Nah. I think not.

If folk really are interested then they can easily sign up and then enjoy the benefits of ready access.

This might at least deter the all-too-casual carnks?

Information has value. Free apps for your pc or phone are free as the provider is collecting data about you. Facebook is a great example of people providing tons of info that can be sliced and diced a bazillion ways and sold on to anyone.

What could search engines mine from this little bulletin board? I don't know, but why help them?
(Will having posted this make the thought police knock on my door?)