What do you hide?

**Caddyman** · 09-12-2008, 04:17 AM

For personal security and to reduce server loads, what do you hide, or choose to show.

With the advent of the super cool myspace style customizeable profiles, it is very tempting to let guests view profiles, in hopes if they see your cool profile they will want to sign up. I know i have thought about that before. But after some reading and some suggestions from members profiles are hidden from guest viewing.

1. members dont want anyone seeing their profile
2. SE Spiders i heard someone say will index member profiles and there really is not content there and may be bad for SEO.

Another thing i heard suggested to hide for server load is the members list, again this is both for security, server load, and SEO.

anything else that might be good to hide, do you, on your sites just decide to show everything?

**ArnyVee** · 09-12-2008, 04:34 AM

I show everything. But, I don't have everything enabled.

Take for the instance the 'customizable profiles'....I haven't enabled these for a couple of reasons.

1. I haven't looked into doing it the 'right' way

and, most importantly for me...

2. We are opening our own Disney-related Social Networking site which should supplant the need to have the profiles done that way.

I'm thinking of placing an ad in the WDBoards profile 'cross-promoting' the WDBuddies so that I can get some of those folks that might be 'into' their profiles or sharing more than what the WDBoards provide going over and signing up for that service as well.

I hadn't thought about 'hiding' the member list, but how do I go about that? How does it help you in regards to SEO?

**Caddyman** · 09-12-2008, 04:49 AM

well the profiles and member list are both not really great content to index. if you go to usergroup manager and guest/unregistered group.

Can view members info (including other's profiles and members list) NO

**ArnyVee** · 09-12-2008, 05:18 AM

Thank you sir, that should help

**Caddyman** · 09-12-2008, 05:29 AM

Not a problem, it is all these little tweaks, that if done right, might give you that edge you need against a competitor...

**Cerberus** · 09-12-2008, 06:15 PM

I use my robots.txt to hide things. I dont do it on site. I mean some real guests like to look at stuff like that. So I have found out

**Nick R** · 09-14-2008, 09:24 AM

Here's my Robots.txt:

Code:

Disallow: /forums/ajax.php
Disallow: /forums/attachment.php
Disallow: /forums/calendar.php
Disallow: /forums/cron.php
Disallow: /forums/editpost.php
Disallow: /forums/global.php
Disallow: /forums/image.php
Disallow: /forums/inlinemod.php
Disallow: /forums/joinrequests.php
Disallow: /forums/login.php
Disallow: /forums/member.php
Disallow: /forums/memberlist.php
Disallow: /forums/misc.php
Disallow: /forums/moderator.php
Disallow: /forums/newattachment.php
Disallow: /forums/newreply.php
Disallow: /forums/newthread.php
Disallow: /forums/online.php
Disallow: /forums/poll.php
Disallow: /forums/postings.php
Disallow: /forums/printthread.php
Disallow: /forums/private.php
Disallow: /forums/profile.php
Disallow: /forums/register.php
Disallow: /forums/report.php
Disallow: /forums/reputation.php
Disallow: /forums/search.php
Disallow: /forums/sendmessage.php
Disallow: /forums/showgroups.php
Disallow: /forums/subscription.php
Disallow: /forums/threadrate.php
Disallow: /forums/usercp.php
Disallow: /forums/usernote.php

But I also have disallowed permissions for guests to view Profiles, the Memberlist, Who's Online,

**Caddyman** · 09-14-2008, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick R

But I also have disallowed permissions for guests to view Profiles, the Memberlist, Who's Online,

same as me, i wouldn't have even thought about it but a few members asked me, for their privacy.

**Cerberus** · 09-15-2008, 04:46 PM

Well I mean if its not indexed does it matter? If member registers they can see so might as well let guests see it if its not going to be indexed

**Caddyman** · 09-15-2008, 08:05 PM

idk, it's different i guess for me with a regional board. DE is a small state so people are a little more aware of who is watching...