Mid Google search or big brother?

Dave A · 08-15-2004, 09:24 PM

Hi Folks,
Dave Downunder here again. I have just been surfing around the web when I came upon a row of words that I had seen before.
It was those I have seen whilst I have been trying to set up PHPDIG on my web server but this time they were looking at me from the results page of a google search.
I clicked the link and dropped into a fully functional ADMIN page of PHPDIG that was working and ready to spider the web!
Yep the full monty!
The only problem was that this one appeared to have worked because of the stats on the admin page showed it.
Now my site doesn't spider, well it doesn't yet but this one did.
It would appear that either the system hadn't been logged out of and left on line, or it was hit by a google search as the owner was looking at the stats page after he had logged in using the user and password.
My next action was one of wonder? What if?
and in the end I looked at the web sites that the owner had spidered, logged out then surfed the web to have a look at what web pages had been spidered and then I managed to find a common link, each web site that had been spidered had the same contact email address, so I sent the guy an email telling him that his PHPDIG worked fine, spidered web sites and produced stats and then asked him why he hadn't put his email address on the stats page of his search engine so I could have contacted him sooner.
I did mention to him that I was trying to set up PHPDIG but in his email reply he has refused to help me! BUGGER!!
Well folks I know that the product works because I have used it myself now and that is before I have gotten the thing to work on my own site but I didn't know that some of you guys leave your search engines sitting around in cyberspace waiting for visitors via search engines to spider web sites.
I just wonder what would have happened if I had sat and spidered all my web sites and logged off.
I wonder if at some point in time someone would have logged onto his stats page and thought "Who the heck has spidered all those sites?"
What a way to test software, on line demo's of working search engines.
It just goes to show you not to leave your web site without logging off I would expect.
I guess that it wouldn't be fair to put the web address on here would it?
But I did contact google to ask them to remove the page just in case some other bugger goes there.

All the best guys
Dave Andrews

vinyl-junkie · 08-15-2004, 10:09 PM

Hi, Dave. Phpdig can be set to bypass authentication, like so:

Code:

define('PHPDIG_ADM_AUTH','0');

Perhaps that is what happened on that site.

Think of all the bandwidth you could eat up, just to be mean.

Charter · 08-15-2004, 10:32 PM

Yeah, some people can be mean. To everyone, keep define('PHPDIG_ADM_AUTH','1'); and if you have the ability, set an htaccess file on top of that.

Google isn't going to guess where your admin page resides. However, if someone finds your link or your link is 'exposed' somehow, then Google can find it roundabout.

Also, remember every forum has trolls!

Dave A · 08-16-2004, 01:20 AM

I just thought that it could be weird if the owner goes to the site and suddenly see's that a wholeheap of web sites have been spidered.
A bit like going shopping, buying a loo roll and ending up with a trolley full of food.

08-15-2004, 09:24 PM	#1
Dave A Purple Mole Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North Island New Zealand Posts: 170	Mid Google search or big brother? Hi Folks, Dave Downunder here again. I have just been surfing around the web when I came upon a row of words that I had seen before. It was those I have seen whilst I have been trying to set up PHPDIG on my web server but this time they were looking at me from the results page of a google search. I clicked the link and dropped into a fully functional ADMIN page of PHPDIG that was working and ready to spider the web! Yep the full monty! The only problem was that this one appeared to have worked because of the stats on the admin page showed it. Now my site doesn't spider, well it doesn't yet but this one did. It would appear that either the system hadn't been logged out of and left on line, or it was hit by a google search as the owner was looking at the stats page after he had logged in using the user and password. My next action was one of wonder? What if? and in the end I looked at the web sites that the owner had spidered, logged out then surfed the web to have a look at what web pages had been spidered and then I managed to find a common link, each web site that had been spidered had the same contact email address, so I sent the guy an email telling him that his PHPDIG worked fine, spidered web sites and produced stats and then asked him why he hadn't put his email address on the stats page of his search engine so I could have contacted him sooner. I did mention to him that I was trying to set up PHPDIG but in his email reply he has refused to help me! BUGGER!! Well folks I know that the product works because I have used it myself now and that is before I have gotten the thing to work on my own site but I didn't know that some of you guys leave your search engines sitting around in cyberspace waiting for visitors via search engines to spider web sites. I just wonder what would have happened if I had sat and spidered all my web sites and logged off. I wonder if at some point in time someone would have logged onto his stats page and thought "Who the heck has spidered all those sites?" What a way to test software, on line demo's of working search engines. It just goes to show you not to leave your web site without logging off I would expect. I guess that it wouldn't be fair to put the web address on here would it? But I did contact google to ask them to remove the page just in case some other bugger goes there. All the best guys Dave Andrews

08-15-2004, 10:09 PM	#2
vinyl-junkie Purple Mole Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 694	Hi, Dave. Phpdig can be set to bypass authentication, like so: Code: define('PHPDIG_ADM_AUTH','0'); Perhaps that is what happened on that site. Think of all the bandwidth you could eat up, just to be mean.

08-15-2004, 10:32 PM	#3
Charter Head Mole Join Date: May 2003 Posts: 2,539	Yeah, some people can be mean. To everyone, keep define('PHPDIG_ADM_AUTH','1'); and if you have the ability, set an htaccess file on top of that. Google isn't going to guess where your admin page resides. However, if someone finds your link or your link is 'exposed' somehow, then Google can find it roundabout. Also, remember every forum has trolls! __________________ Responses are offered on a voluntary if/as time is available basis, no guarantees. Double posting or bumping threads will not get your question answered any faster. No support via PM or email, responses not guaranteed. Thank you for your comprehension.

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08-16-2004, 01:20 AM	#4
Dave A Purple Mole Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: North Island New Zealand Posts: 170	I just thought that it could be weird if the owner goes to the site and suddenly see's that a wholeheap of web sites have been spidered. A bit like going shopping, buying a loo roll and ending up with a trolley full of food.