Indexing- Bad Idea??

[DomainDog]

I was doing some searching at google, and was VERY surprised to find several of my posts here INDEXED by Google!

Since we are here as Dathorn reseller-customers, and often are discussing problems, customers, and issues related to our hosting businesses, I find it VERY uncomfortable that the ENTIRE WORLD is privy to every single discussion, just by searching.

I'd like to hear what the rest of you think. I feel somewhat violated, and if this is going to be the practice, I will definitely feel constricted in my freedom to discuss important issues.

At the very least, can we create somewhere private, where the public (and our clients) can't read everything we say?

[openbox]

This is the internet and by it's very nature open to the world. What's your concern? I find it comforting that everything is open and nothing is hidden. If you are really that concerned, you could always just submit tt's and not post on the forums. I for one would have to see these forums (or a portion of them) closed to non-customers. My $0.02 worth.

[DomainDog]

This is the internet and by it's very nature open to the world. What's your concern? I find it comforting that everything is open and nothing is hidden. If you are really that concerned, you could always just submit tt's and not post on the forums. I for one would have to see these forums (or a portion of them) closed to non-customers. My $0.02 worth.

What's my concern? Do you run a business? If it's so wonderful that "nothing is hidden", then why do we go to great lengths to cloak Dathorn DNS, and use custom name servers? Isn't it to protect our (business owners) privacy? My customers have no idea I am on a shared-hosting reseller server. I want it to stay that way!

If a customer can simply type their domain name into a search engine, and come here to see their domain or account being discussed on a hosting-reseller forum, I guess the jig is up, and we might as well forget about representing ourselves as a "hosting company".

This isn't WebHostingTalk- I thought it was a forum for Dathorn Resellers.

[Buddha]

No problem with indexing here. I'm in favor of self-censorship too. Be a nicer net if everyone thought twice before posting.

[-Oz-]

This domaindog, is why we try to mast the urls where the custom nameservers go to.

[DomainDog]

This domaindog, is why we try to mast the urls where the custom nameservers go to.

Can you please elaborate?

[DomainDog]

Here's a few examples after a very quick search of the forum. Are these discussions the sort of thing we want the public and possibly our customers to be reading?

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=477

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=531

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=463

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=410

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=383

So.... as a result, do we have to be very shadowed in any references to specific accounts or ongoing problems? Or speak freely and hope no customers read the discussion?

Up till today, I (mistakenly) assumed what we talk about here, stays here.

[Frank Hagan]

I would feel better if Dathorn would put a directive in the robots.txt file disallowing indexing of the forums.

But I'm not sure its a real problem. If you are worried about someone finding out you are running a hosting company buying space from someone else, I'm not sure you've thought this thing through. There are plenty of other ways to find out. Enter your URL at http://www.whois.sc and see how many sites are hosted on your server. And the name of the server you are on.

If you don't have information regarding sharing of resources in your TOS/AUP, you should have. Anyone reading those should be able to tell you are on a shared server (i.e. - you should be telling them you are!)

There is a transparency to the Internet that will make it embarrassing if you mislead your customers. They will feel cheated if you simply allow them to think something by omission. Think about how you felt when you found out this wasn't a "private forum."

I think its better to pre-empt any possible negative aspect of my business by telling my customers up front about the size of my business (SMALL!) and how I take extra care because my own site is on the same server. And that I'm very particular about who hosts with me because I share the server with others.

[Jonathan]

I feel fine...

Most people know I'm 15yrs old, and once
they hear that they know I have to be sponsored
or something (web savvy ones know I must be a reseller).

But the fact I provide excellent support, and take
the time to strike up conversations with customers
over Instant Messager-- shows them I truly mean business
and I'm not some n00b out here to try to make a quick
buck w/o knowing what the hell I'm doing, or that I don't know web design.

I know PHP and mySQL enough, so I can say "hey, maybe THIS is why its not working";
or maybe point out its incorrect mySQL username, whatever!

Point is ~ people, if you treat them as customers should be,
really do not care in the end if your a reseller, IMO....

*Note, I'm not doing this full time as some of you are,
so don't get me wrong-- for you guys, this'd be bad!

[DomainDog]

If a customer is willing to pay $10.95 per month for one account and limited resources, then finds out they can have unlimited domains, 2 GB storage and 30 GB bandwidth for 3 dollars more..... well do the math!

It's been a time-honored practice for wholesale suppliers (i.e. Dathorn) to protect their retailers (i.e. us!) from the end users having access to the same resources at wholesale prices.

And Frank's right, there are other ways to "pierce the veil" and find Dathorn, but some are fairly arcane and not typical of end users (like how many search at NameIntelligence?). But with our discussions in this forum being Google indexed and easily found with a simple search, it's as easy as can be.

And I have never told my customers anything untrue. Because I don't choose to tell them what my arrangements are, that is not deceptive in any way. In fact, not one has ever asked.

I don't make the rules, and I'm not condemning Andrew for allowing Googlebot (and others) access, but I wish we had a place, like ONE section where we could talk freely amongst ourselves without our customers being able to read what we say! Call it "Resellers Only" or something.

From a reseller/business perspective, that seems like the right thing.

[Buddha]

Well said Frank.

The customer I have here knows about Dathorn and Andrew and even this forum, I'ld be more than happy to transfer the account to my customer's name. However, he prefers it the way it is, one bill from me, and I take care of Dathorn and the domain names and his site (soon to be sites).

Of course, it should be obvious I'm not just reselling Dathorn's space. I provide a Value Added Service which includes managing websites, search engine optimization, custom programming, computer security and a number of other helpful services.

Personally, I think Andrew would be better off calling the accounts he sells "multiple domain accounts" instead of "reseller accounts." A lot of people here aren't even reselling. Remember this poll? http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=202

[Ian]

No one should feel private on the Internet. I did a search on google and found a post I made in 1998.

I think its also in Dathorns best interest to have the forums as open as they are. The last host I was at had private forums that only customers could get to and it had about 100 posts a year and about 50 of those were from the company. These forums are alive and I like that.

Just my two cents.

[openbox]

If it's so wonderful that "nothing is hidden", then why do we go to great lengths to cloak Dathorn DNS, and use custom name servers? Isn't it to protect our (business owners) privacy? My customers have no idea I am on a shared-hosting reseller server. I want it to stay that way!

It's not hard to find out you're on a shared hosting reseller service even if you use custom nameservers.

If a customer can simply type their domain name into a search engine, and come here to see their domain or account being discussed on a hosting-reseller forum, I guess the jig is up, and we might as well forget about representing ourselves as a "hosting company".

Simple answer to that is to never, ever use your customers domain/account info

[openbox]

Here's a few examples after a very quick search of the forum. Are these discussions the sort of thing we want the public and possibly our customers to be reading?

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=477

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=531

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=463

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=410

http://forums.dathorn.com/showthread.php?t=383

I see absolutely nothing wrong with these, except for maybe the whole christopherwu thing, but that's his own personal domain and he can do whatever he wants with it IMO.

[Pedja]

I agree, Dathorn should keep info about his clients private. That includes forum messages. Howver, Forums are open as good marketing practice to openly show how thigs are going on.

Actually, I decided to go with Dathorn after I lurked through the forum for a while. They have good ofer on their site but anyone can offer you anything. Here, everyone can se what is really offered.

But as a customer, I would like to see support part of this forum closed to nonmembers.

Middle solution is to never show any info about yourself. I am sure there are lots of people posting on this forum under aliases. I also second suggestion for Andrew to set robots.txt to forbid topic indexing on search engines. thsi forum does not need to be vivisected by google since he is targeted to customers who come here in totally different way.

However, I dislike way you run your business. It seems to me that you are simply overselling resources bought from Dathorn. I strongly believe that was not the general idea of reselling. It is suposed that you use Dathorn services to get affordable hosting service, add some valuable services of your own and sell it together for increased value of your service.

So, If you are afraid that your clients might find out that you are selling to them one cpanel account for price that is almost the same as price for whole resseler account you should be.

Look at the Jonathan. He's 15 years old and he recognized perfectly what is quality way to create his own bussiness.