Research indicates Investigator563 owners suffer from insomnia

[Ozzie]

Down the bottom of your home page there is small print message indicating who’s online. I am a bit of a Luddite with the finer points of the operation of the Net so I’m addressing this question to those more versed in the subject.

What the #*$@ were 138 people doing on the net reading this forum at 3.26 am ?????

That’s all ...it’s 11.53pm and I’m going to bed.....zzzzzz

[Geoff]

Hey Ozzie,

Probably mostly bots. That was pretty soon after we updated the forum software and I sent the general mailout letting everyone know. Many members then did browse the forum. That burst of activity triggers bot activity. If you remember (as a mod) we got a lot of spam signups with their porn links.

I have fitted a beaut anti-spam extension to the forum a little while back. It does what it says, and blocks spammers both posting and signups, and doesn't seem to be affecting legit posters. I am hopeful that I will be able to remove the question in the registration process that was needed to prove you weren't a bot. The plugin seems to be able to do that automatically.

On the same note, I am always logged in. But in that notification field it only ever shows me as logged in, plus x number of guests. Is that how it is for you too, or does it show me or anyone else as logged in?

[Ozzie]

Thanks Geoff, I thought that may be something to do with it. It was the time that statistic was triggered that was funny . I did consider bots but wondered why they were not identified as such. Then it dawned on me that they are only identified as bots at the time your viewing ..

The following screen grab was taken just before I logged on at about 7.35 am

Then this just after logging in

Where the programme then identified me and a Bing bot

Of course, I now realise does not identify how many of the 138 users on that night were bots .

As I mentioned on a previous thread my thread which I innocently titled “Swinging, swinging keel “ as in to indicate my swinging keel was now swinging free with a broken pull cord, generated a lot of traffic lol so clearly search terms of a certain nature generate a lot of bots which in turn generate a lot of visitors, although in that particular case probably a lot of disappointment

We must test this out with a thread titled “FREE BEER”

Most, if not all, of my business and recreational net use these days is on my iPad, which tends to log me off automatically after I’m in another tab after a while, must check my settings.

[Geoff]

Hi Ozzie,

Thanks for the feedback. Yes we could play with keywords, like your swinging.

Well-hung sails, perhaps?

Interesting how it shows yourself as being logged in but no one else, thats what it does for me too. The way it reads you would think it should show other logged in users as well. Maybe there is a setting in the admin panel. I will have a prowl later...

[Geoff]

Just looked, and it shows David and I as logged in users. So it is working as it should. I must only have looked before when others weren't logged in.

[Ozzie]

https://ppcprotect.com/how-many-of-the- ... re-robots/

For those interested

[Peter T]

Please excuse my ignorance, I now understand what Bots are, but can someone explain “Bing”
Thanks
Peter T

[Geoff]

Hi Peter,

Bing is Microsofts search engine, so a wannabe Google.

[Peter T]

Oh ok, thanks.
Cheers, Peter