Howefamily

I have a blog that I update mainly for family back in the UK that dislike facebook and also for anyone else that wants to read it.
I do include photos of my girls but they are pretty inane ones - opening Christmas presents, out on a trip etc etc...
I havent made it private as I dont really mind who reads it BUT just lately I have noticed that a traffic source from a highly dodgyreferring source is showing up.


I can see where people in the world are that read it and I can see the referring URLs.


Usually they are google or here, but there is one from <<<SNIP>>>


I have no experience of that website but the name worries me, greatly, given that I have 2 daughters..


Anyone have any experience of blocking URLs. I dare not even look at it to see whats in it from the point of view of
a) content
b) viruses


If I cant find a way of blocking it I guess I can remove all their photos or make it private.. just wondered if there is another way.
Thanks

beckiwoo

That's definitely odd and worrying.

If using Wordpress then you can definitely make it private but I don't know then if it's just yourself who will be able to view it and no one else.

Howefamily

I have taken another look and there are a ton of dodgy referring URLs so I have made it private...
Once I calm down I may just take off all photos of my girls and then make it public again. Too many weirdos out there

Vulcanoid

Oh my. If you control access to the server, instructions to block referring URLs at places like Deny visitors by referrer - Apache .htaccess Guide, Tutorials & Examples

If not, you would probably be more comfortable putting the whole thing (or at least the photos) behind a password protection.

Also, with a URL like that, you could do worse than contacting RCMP cybercrime unit to ensure they're aware, as there's clearly intent for some very unsavoury business.

Howefamily

Good point. Will do.
Right now, I have realized that my first post now links to that site. I need to contact a moderator to remove the link - ugh

Oakvillian

I'm sure you won't be the first person to "report" your own post - use the little exclamation mark button at lower left of the post in question...

Zoe Bell

i wouldn't worry too much about it. My blog gets a ton of hits from Russian porn sites. As far as I know I haven't become a minor celebrity over there. they are usually just trawling for active URLs and spamming the links

beckiwoo

I had a quick look at the stats page on mine but I can't see anything untowards (yet).

It's good to know this can happen so I'll be watching carefully

dbd33

I had a blog for a few years on a "city people in the country" theme. Loads of previously unknown people posted comments or sent messages and that was the fun of the thing. I would think that a private blog is of little value and that one may as well use Facebook (assuming one's audience is old enough to be Facebook users).

Howefamily

OK, so I just had a chat with our IT guy at work. It was almost essential as I had checked a link and it had opened into some korean adult porn site. outstanding!
Anyway he gave me some similar advice about these just being spammers and they have no actual links to my blog so I have calmed down a bit and made it public again... I need coffee...

Howefamily

Thank you

Howefamily

Thank you, I am calming down now

Atlantic Xpat

I miss your blog. Living a country life vicariously through others without the need to actually get up before dawn and thaw out the chickens was fun. (& I know why you stopped it.)

Howefamily

Oh I want to read this blog

dbd33

Something of the joke is lost over time anyway; eventually the authors know which end of the chicken or the donkey wants stabbing.