Bots viewing the forums 11111!!!!!

[RONA]

Well I just clicked on the currently active users section to see what we were all doing and found these to on the list, (but they don't actually have a profile):

MSNBot Spider 10:49 AM Viewing Index Toymods Forums

Yahoo! Slurp Spider 10:37AM Viewing User Profile

Question what the hell are they and is it a risk for the forum.

[Lambolica]

I asked the same question... apparently they are built into the software for the search engines.

[takai]

They are spider bots which continiously browse and index pages for search engines. Basically it is how the search engines know what is on a specific page.
Relatively harmless, and are needed if people will search the site via Google or another search engine.

[Bananaman]

Has the new forum made it onto google yet? The old one is definitely all on there, but doesn't seem like the new one has been updated yet

[RONA]

Ok looks like this mystery has been solved thanks guys, just hadn't seen them before.

[chris davey]

I don’t know why but it seems scary to me that “the internet” is watching us. Makes me think about those sci-fi movies where the computers take over the world

[RONA]

I find it more disturbing that said bot was looking at ppls profiles. err why does it need too.

[chris davey]

try searching your name on google and see what comes up. I guess that would be the reason

[RONA]

Not much really, but if I search my brothers it comes up with some guys site from american who is a gay male escort with the same name ROFLMAO.

[bathurst-91]

changed post to new thread

[thu187]

I find it more disturbing that said bot was looking at ppls profiles. err why does it need too.

Spiders are what make search engines work. They go through pages and add them to their databases (and also cache them -- useful when a page is no longer there). They also unfortunately slow down the internet heaps but then without search engines we wouldn't be able to find websites.

As for your question they visit every page at the location they're at (www.toymods.net) and the profile pages are hosted here so that's why they're there.

[Joshstix]

We could turn off the bots but I think this forum is too good a Toyota resource for us to keep it to ourselves. People should be able to find and benefit from the knowledge on offer here.

Conversely people with knowledge to give should be able to find the place as somewhere receptive to what they have to offer.

[Jackel]

are the forum members personal details stored on a database on the web server because i don't want my personal address, phone number etc accessable to the rest of the world?

[TheStitt]

Yes members info is stored securely.