Hi Everyone,
We are getting lots of views each day on the FORUM, though no one new has joined us recently in posting ... It's fine to be a reader (lurker) out there, we realize that posting is not everyone's thing ... but it would be nice to hear from some of you out there, even if it's just a short hi !!
Anyway, a few years ago Network54 added on some pretty "heavy-duty spam blockers," because they were getting hit system-wide by some problem visitors.
Before then, the FORUM was always listed on the first page of Google for the search terms
["I SPY" Culp Cosby Forum] or combinations of those terms. After Network54 instituted their changes, we dropped back to page 8 or 9 on Google. People complained (as everyone's standing on Google was affected by these changes), but Network54's administrators said nothing can be done until their next major overhaul which may be years away - and guaranteeing spam-free security is paramount.
O.K., we are happy at Network54, we like it here.
BUT Google's "web crawlers" are definitely not finding us easily .... someone also said on Network54's Administrative Forum that listings on prime Google pages all have some paid or commercial connection. I don't think that's the case. But when I wrote to Google, they said placement was determined by links .... Well nothing had changed regarding the FORUM, from the days when we were on Page 1 to the days we are Page 8 (except for Network54's new spam blockers, which apparently Google's crawlers can not get around). In fact, links to the FORUM have only increased during this period.
Fortunately, we are linked on Wikipedia's "I SPY" page - which always shows up on Page 1 of Google.
To make things more confusing, YAHOO has us listed in the No. #1 spot for those same search terms. So their web crawlers CAN find us, and not Google's???
Anyway, I thought I'd try an experiment and preface all my postings with the title [ "I SPY" FORUM TV - Robert Culp, Bill Cosby ] and see if having those terms in the titles of postings make any difference with Google's web crawlers noticing them. I'll give it a little time and let you know if it works.
And if anyone has
any other suggestions, please let me know.
As always,
Tatia
....
