What are spiders, and why do they come here and read threads?

[zoobyshoe]

What are spiders, and why do they come here and read threads?

 

[James R]

They are automated agents sent out by search sites such as google to gather indexing information.

 

[zoobyshoe]

What would "indexing information" be?

 

[arildno]

It means that they slurp.

 

[jtbell]

What would "indexing information" be?

It means that threads on PF will turn up in (e.g.) Google search results when you do an appropriate search.

 

[zoobyshoe]

So, it sounds the the stuff on google etc. is only info they have previously "indexed". Google finds things for you from its own records, and not by actually going out and looking for it on request. I didn't realize that.

Thanks.

 

[Joel]

Yes, but I understand they pretty much has 'the whole web' storaged, hence the ability to load google hits from their server, even if the page's actual server is broken.

 

[dextercioby]

Yep,it happened to me before to bump into server errors because of this "trick" by Google.

Daniel.

 

[Monique]

The spiders have started replying to threads!
http://uploadyourimages.com/view/356856spidersreplying.jpg

 

[zoobyshoe]

The spiders have started replying to threads!
http://uploadyourimages.com/view/356856spidersreplying.jpg

[/URL]
That's so creepy. Now I have no idea who is a spider and who's a real person.

 

[dextercioby]

I hope I'm not on a spider's buddy list...

How recent is new photo in your avatar,Monique...?I assume it's you.

Daniel.

 

[Moonbear]

The spiders have started replying to threads!
http://uploadyourimages.com/view/356856spidersreplying.jpg

[/URL]
This is information I didn't even need to have cross my mind!


I've been finding the presence of spiders around here disturbing for sometime now (as has Daniel). https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=63773

Though, I've noticed we have a member now whose username is "google", which is really oddly disturbing to me when I see threads started by google! :

 

[NPBot Spider]

Don't fear us.

 

[zoobyshoe]

Don't fear us.

Die, spider! Die! Die! I stomp on you!

 

[Doc Al]

The spiders have started replying to threads!
http://uploadyourimages.com/view/356856spidersreplying.jpg

[/URL]
Yeah, what's up with that? I noticed that today, but I've yet to see a reply from "NPBot Spider".

 

[Monique]

Yeah, what's up with that? I noticed that today, but I've yet to see a reply from "NPBot Spider".

You should look at a few posts back in this thread

 

[Doc Al]

You should look at a few posts back in this thread

Well, yes, I saw the reply in this thread. But when I view "Who's Online" I see the spider replying to all sorts of threads. Yet where are the replys?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Yeah, what's up with that? I noticed that today, but I've yet to see a reply from "NPBot Spider".

I IP blocked all NPBot's yesterday. They are useless spiders. They come from Name Protect, a company that monitors Intellectual Property infringment.

 

[Monique]

I hope I'm not on a spider's buddy list...

How recent is new photo in your avatar,Monique...?I assume it's you.

Daniel.

I think someone heard you: http://uploadyourimages.com/view/322363modifyingbuddylist.jpg The spider has just put you from his buddy to the ignore list (7th from bottom down) I've even seen spiders send private messages, and one is sharing a thread with a FRIEND! (4th from top)

The photo used to be my old avatar (me), I thought I'd put it back up for a while.

 

[Monique]

I IP blocked all NPBot's yesterday. They are useless spiders. They come from Name Protect, a company that monitors Intellectual Property infringment.

Oh really? The other NPBot was me joking around

 

[Doc Al]

Oh really? The other NPBot was me joking around

Bad dog!

 

[Moonbear]

Oh really? The other NPBot was me joking around

I didn't take the first one seriously, but only because I forget things like address = adres in browsers in Holland I guess, and your screen display is different because you have a mentor version showing IP addresses, so I thought it was just a fake, not a real screen shot. I hope Greg didn't just ban you!

So, a spider sniffing around for copyright infringement, huh? Is that the internet equivalent of an ambulance chaser?

 

[Monique]

so I thought it was just a fake, not a real screen shot. I hope Greg didn't just ban you!

Well, the screenshots are real internet spiders.. I thought I'd scare a few members by actually posting a reply I had a good laugh at Whozum's reply:

That is the freakin creepiest thing I've ever seen. Hahaha

 

[Joel]

I was just to say, "Is someone doing a practical?" when I noticed Monique's replay.

 

[zoobyshoe]

There are currently 73 members, 317 guests, and 551 spiders reading PF. Humans are outnumbered.

 

[TenaliRaman]

Reporter 1 : In other news,
Kerberos, the big three headed dog, pis*** on the WTC. I tell you howard, he must have thought it was a fire hydrant.

Reporter 2 : Or he had a bad day at the office (Ha Ha Ha!, the official smile with a toothy grin)

Reporter 1 : (Same toothy grin) Let's see what people who saw it think about it.

A TV scene with a broad shouldered kid standing with a tatoo on his right arm
"Whoa! that was a big dog!"

Another Mom being interviewed,
"I think its just awful, its just evil spreading around, they say PF was overtaken by spiders, that's it, the end of world is near"
Her kid, "Mommy mommy i want that doggy!"
Mom, "How many times do i have to say? No, we have enough trouble handling your dad around the house"

Reporter 1 : Well that was enlightening.

Reporter 2 : I must say. Viewers, just note that you first heard that on "PEE-NN". Stay with us we will be right back!

** cheesy sound music **

-- AI

 

[JamesU]

Don't fear us.

For some reason, when I was scrolling down the page and saw that...it creeped me out

 

[zoobyshoe]

There are currently 44 members, 185 guests, and 572 spiders reading threads at PF.

The internet is its own biggest fan.

 

[Math Is Hard]

Well, the screenshots are real internet spiders.. I thought I'd scare a few members by actually posting a reply I had a good laugh at Whozum's reply:

I thought it was hysterical - but yeah, very, very creepy at first!

 

[Moonbear]

There are currently 44 members, 185 guests, and 572 spiders reading threads at PF.

The internet is its own biggest fan.

We keep telling the guests there's a one spider per guest limit, but none of them listen. And once a few spiders get in, they start sneaking all their friends in. It gets out of control really quickly.

 

[zoobyshoe]

There are currently 68 members, 324 guests, and 202 spiders reading at PF.

The arachnid hordes are in retreat!

 

[JamesU]

I've got some bug-b-gone...

 

[Gale]

you know... spiders prey on other annoying insects... if we didn't have all those spiders around, who knows what other sort of gross bugs we'd have.

 

[dextercioby]

Sugar,spiders are not insects...


Daniel.