Forum Archive Update

[CraigPaleo]

I have a web site with portions of it viewable to members only. Google, Yahoo, and other search engines use bots to index my site every month or so; however, they can't index the portions of my site that require membership. If the bots can't index it, they don't display it in search results. If I move something from the open area to the members only area, then they may have a cache of the old page; however, they do not index the current page. The cached page disappears from the search result after a time, or it is so far down the list that no one would look at it.

I think the FC made a good compromise.

+1 Search bots are only able to see what non-members see and I agree with the decision.

[Kirboosy]

Could we maybe have another server dedicated to the "archive" and "old" posts? Maybe have like a http://archive.ubuntuforums.org

That way it still would come up on Google as a search result but it would remove the stress off of the main server.


OR

Add to the Welcome banner

"Welcome to the Ubuntu Forums! We encourage you to REGISTER and participate in our active and growing community. Ubuntu is a complete Linux-based operating system, freely available, with both community and professional support. Registering allows you to get support, give support, access forum archives, use private messages, download images, and much more!"

Just my two cents.

~Caboose

[CraigPaleo]

Could we maybe have another server dedicated to the "archive" and "old" posts? Maybe have like a http://archive.ubuntuforums.org

That way it still would come up on Google as a search result but it would remove the stress off of the main server.


OR

Add to the Welcome banner



Just my two cents.

~Caboose

Please read the original thread and the follow up on the subject.

There are hundreds of post regarding the issue. The decision has been made. I admire the way they went about it - taking everyone's input into consideration. I would have liked the archives to be open to Google but they aren't being deleted altogether. That is a good thing.

[handy]

All concerned, I think that this is a really good compromise. Well done.

[Kirboosy]

Please read the original thread and the follow up on the subject.

There are hundreds of post regarding the issue. The decision has been made. I admire the way they went about it - taking everyone's input into consideration. I would have liked the archives to be open to Google but they aren't being deleted altogether. That is a good thing.

Thanks but I've already read all that before. I was posting mainly in sarcasm.

I really think that the solution is well done.

[CraigPaleo]

Thanks but I've already read all that before. I was posting mainly in sarcasm.

I really think that the solution is well done.

Sorry. I get in trouble misreading sarcasm for gentility sometimes.

[eyelessfade]

I have never liked that forums are closed in any forms. Search read should be open without restriction to anyone unless the forum is of a closed nature. When I google a term and come to a forum which make me register I will pass on it. More often then not this is also what I do, when I get restricted on the forums own search engine.

[bapoumba]

With all due respect you're deluded.

What _actually_ happens in the real world is that people mash their keys into google and click the first hit. If what they see doesn't work they go elsewhere. If they try lots of links and nothing works they think "Ubuntu is rubbish" "I tried all these things on the official forums".

They will even go out of their way to tell _other_ _people_ about these huge errors and omissions.

But the one thing they won't do, is tell _you_.

Human nature, it sucks, work around it.

I'm sorry I missed your post.

I was not talking about users who would stumble across old threads and break their stuff. I am not aware we had any complains from these users. What usually happens is that new users post without searching first and get appropriate help.

I was talking about people who mentioned the Archive "problem" in the first place. We never could get around any raw evidence that the Archives were actually breaking stuff. When we asked (the FC) for evidence, 6 threads total were given to us, I dealt with these. 3 of them I updated the first post, 1 I deleted, 2 were not in the Archive section.

We have asked the problematic threads to be reported. I have chimed in the Staff Area for people be attentive to reports regarding the Archives. I have made a special thread into the Reported Area to collect these reports. This was over a month ago. None were reported.

We are a community site, anyone is welcome to contribute. If developers, people from Q&A or the Kernel Team have much bugs landing in their field due to the Archive section, we have a process to deal with it.

The only workable compromise was to remove the Archives from public view, thus saving our memory and part of our history.

[castrojo]

We have asked the problematic threads to be reported. I have chimed in the Staff Area for people be attentive to reports regarding the Archives. I have made a special thread into the Reported Area to collect these reports. This was over a month ago. None were reported.

Was any of this announced on any Ubuntu developer channel? I didn't even know there was a special thread.

[forrestcupp]

When I google a term and come to a forum which make me register I will pass on it. More often then not this is also what I do, when I get restricted on the forums own search engine.

I think the point is that now, since Google can't index the archives anymore, the useful, active threads will start to make their way to the top of the list, and people will be less likely to click on links to old, archived threads where they have to log in. So hopefully, soon people won't be clicking on those links such as the ones that you pass on.

It's a good compromise because the end result will be that people won't accidentally get into old advice that messes things up, yet the info is still available to members who know about it and want it.