Webmaster forum - Need to prevent direct access to files yet allow search engines

Author

Need to prevent direct access to files yet allow search engines

James Johnson

2007-02-20, 6:17 pm

Hi all:

I have a site where I provide .pdf content to members.

I want Google to be able to index content.

I don't want people to directly access the content by typing its url. I
want them to log-in first. This way the content can only be accessed from
within the site.

If a person enters the url directly, I'd like them to be redirected to a
page saying "You Must Login To Read This Document".

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

J

GreyWyvern

2007-02-20, 6:17 pm

And lo, James Johnson didst speak in alt.www.webmaster:

> I want Google to be able to index content.
>
> I don't want people to directly access the content by typing its url. I
> want them to log-in first. This way the content can only be accessed
> from within the site.
>
> If a person enters the url directly, I'd like them to be redirected to a
> page saying "You Must Login To Read This Document".
>
> Any thoughts?

Yesh, do you know how annoying that is? Sites which don't offer the
information promised by their listings in search engines should be banned.

Be that as it may, several media outlets have agreements with Google to do
exactly this. I don't know if there is a reliable way to do it without
actually contacting Google, and even then it must cost seventeen arms and
about twenty-six legs.

I think the best (and least annoying way) to accomplish this would be to
post an excerpt of each document, such as an abstract, which is accessible
by both search bots and unregistered users, and then require users (and
thus also robots) to log in to read the full document. At least then you
wouldn't be "lying" about what's behind your listings on the search sites.

Grey

--
The technical axiom that nothing is impossible sinisterly implies the
pitfall corollary that nothing is ridiculous.
- http://www.greywyvern.com/orca#search - Orca Search: Full-featured
spider and site-search engine

PhatSpliff

2007-02-20, 10:17 pm

James,

Try putting your secure content into Moodle http://moodle.org - there
is a setting for allowing access to search bots, while ordinary users
will need to login.

PhatSpliff

2007-02-20, 10:17 pm

On Feb 20, 8:54 pm, GreyWyvern <s...@greywyvern.com> wrote:
a pile of unhelpful shit as usual.

James didn't ask for your opinion on how YOU expect the internet to
look and behave, he was looking for some simple help. Clearly though
you, like so many in this group, know XXXX all about anything and seek
only to discuise your personal opinions in the form of 'advice'.

Gwin

2007-02-20, 10:17 pm

On Feb 20, 3:39 pm, "PhatSpliff" <phatspliff2...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> On Feb 20, 8:54 pm, GreyWyvern <s...@greywyvern.com> wrote:
> a pile of unhelpful shit as usual.
>
> James didn't ask for your opinion on how YOU expect the internet to
> look and behave, he was looking for some simple help. Clearly though
> you, like so many in this group, know XXXX all about anything and seek
> only to discuise your personal opinions in the form of 'advice'.

and moodle was your simple help?

kind of like your noodle
simple

not much help, though i guess you like it

PhatSpliff

2007-02-21, 6:17 pm

Who rattled your cage you ignorant slut? You seem to know XXXX all
about anything and have nothing to contribute. Best you head off now
to perform blow-jobs on donkeys for 25 cents a facial.

Gwin

2007-02-21, 6:17 pm

On Feb 21, 3:57 am, "PhatSpliff" <phatspliff2...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Who rattled your cage you ignorant slut? You seem to know XXXX all
> about anything and have nothing to contribute. Best you head off now
> to perform blow-jobs on donkeys for 25 cents a facial.

did you set the marketing rate through performance testing and
statistics compiled from focus groups?

no wonder it's so fukkin low

Matt Probert

2007-02-21, 6:17 pm

On 20 Feb 2007 15:39:37 -0800, "PhatSpliff"
<phatspliff2000@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On Feb 20, 8:54 pm, GreyWyvern <s...@greywyvern.com> wrote:
>a pile of unhelpful shit as usual.
>
>
>James didn't ask for your opinion on how YOU expect the internet to
>look and behave, he was looking for some simple help. Clearly though
>you, like so many in this group, know XXXX all about anything and seek
>only to discuise your personal opinions in the form of 'advice'.
>

ROTFL!

Oh the irony!

Matt

--
Documenting the banal to the bizarre
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com

PhatSpliff

2007-02-21, 6:17 pm

On Feb 21, 7:33 pm, comme...@probertencyclopaedia.com (Matt Probert)
wrote:
> Documenting the banal to the bizarrehttp://www.probertencyclopaedia.com

Hey everyone, check out the crappiest encylopedia in the world. - LOL
-

Marc Bissonnette

2007-02-21, 6:17 pm

comments@probertencyclopaedia.com (Matt Probert) altered the spacetime
fabric by disgorging news:45dc9e36.9854156@news.freenetname.co.uk:

> On 20 Feb 2007 15:39:37 -0800, "PhatSpliff"
> <phatspliff2000@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> ROTFL!
>
> Oh the irony!

Careful, Matt, he may call you a bunch of potty-mouth names and hurt your
feelings: After all, he's a real *professional*.... <*crickets chirping*>

I wonder: Did any of the female regulars here forget to leave cab money on
the nightstand after a one-nighter? Perhaps that would explain Mr Spliff's
animosity...

--
Marc Bissonnette
Looking for a new ISP? http://www.canadianisp.com
Largest ISP comparison site across Canada.

al jones

2007-02-21, 10:19 pm

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:54:43 -0600, Marc Bissonnette wrote:

> comments@probertencyclopaedia.com (Matt Probert) altered the spacetime
> fabric by disgorging news:45dc9e36.9854156@news.freenetname.co.uk:
>
>
> Careful, Matt, he may call you a bunch of potty-mouth names and hurt your
> feelings: After all, he's a real *professional*.... <*crickets chirping*>
>
> I wonder: Did any of the female regulars here forget to leave cab money on
> the nightstand after a one-nighter? Perhaps that would explain Mr Spliff's
> animosity...

And what makes you think that Mr Spliffs one nighters would be female????

John Hosking

2007-02-21, 10:19 pm

al jones wrote:
> On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:54:43 -0600, Marc Bissonnette wrote:
>
>
>
> And what makes you think that Mr Spliffs one nighters would be female????

Or have opposable thumbs with which to handle the cab money?

--
J.

Marc Bissonnette

2007-02-22, 6:17 am

al jones <alfredmjones@shotmail.com> altered the spacetime fabric by
disgorging news:1f6pkmca0f8bf.kz9bwawyjbx1$.dlg@40tude.net:

> On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:54:43 -0600, Marc Bissonnette wrote:
>
>
> And what makes you think that Mr Spliffs one nighters would be
> female????

Hrm, good point; Mind you, given no regular in this group, male or female,
would debase themselves to Spliff's level, I suppose the more appropriate
question, as suggested by John, would be "Why assume Mr Spliff's one-
nighter's are human?"

Spliff's been a baaa-aaaa-d boy and now he's just ambarassed to be caught.

--
Marc Bissonnette
Looking for a new ISP? http://www.canadianisp.com
Largest ISP comparison site across Canada.

Matt Probert

2007-02-22, 6:17 pm

On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:54:43 -0600, Marc Bissonnette
<dragnet\_@_/internalysis.com> wrote:

>comments@probertencyclopaedia.com (Matt Probert) altered the spacetime
>fabric by disgorging news:45dc9e36.9854156@news.freenetname.co.uk:
>
>
>Careful, Matt, he may call you a bunch of potty-mouth names and hurt your
>feelings: After all, he's a real *professional*.... <*crickets chirping*>
>
>I wonder: Did any of the female regulars here forget to leave cab money on
>the nightstand after a one-nighter? Perhaps that would explain Mr Spliff's
>animosity...

I think I know who he is.....

Matt

--
Documenting the banal to the bizarre
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com

Matt Probert

2007-02-22, 6:17 pm

On Thu, 22 Feb 2007 02:44:53 +0100, John Hosking
<John@DELETE.Hosking.name.INVALID> wrote:

>al jones wrote:
>
>Or have opposable thumbs with which to handle the cab money?
>

ROTFL!

I *like* that one!

Matt

--
Documenting the banal to the bizarre
http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com