Technorati, a blog search engine (as opposed to a search engine that indexes all websites), has started taking the easy way out. They’ve started removing websites whose WordPress software has not been upgraded to the latest version shows signs of being compromised. For our clients, make sure you’ve upgraded to version 2.3.3.
Our clients sites should not be affected, regardless of their version, as long as they have not disabled any plugins. We use an in-house plugin that strips the version number, among other security-related enhancements. It’s based on the bs-wp-noversion plugin, from Blog Security.
I’m not suggesting that people shouldn’t upgrade. Upgrading is not only essential to the continued functioning of your website, in most cases, it’s also really easy.
What I am suggesting is that Technorati have proved themselves to be vindictive, in removing sites that contribute software (like WordPress), plugins, or themes, rather than improving their own algorithms. This is another case of them attempting to bully website owners into playing by their rules. We have an “add to technorati” button in our sidebar, but I still advocate breaking things off with Technorati. The more people use their site is the more that they’ll feel entitled to play the bully. h/t Dougal Gunters
Add to del.icio.us
Post to StumbleUpon
Post to Facebook
Discuss on Newsvine
Add to Reddit
Permalink
How is it vindicative to urge people to upgrade their software to safe versions? Your description that Technorati is “removing websites” is trolling. I posted that “we’re discontinuing processing crawls of blogs that exhibit common symptoms of being compromised.” As a matter of fact, we are improving our systems all of the time and at the same time we’re also raising awareness amongst bloggers that there’s a pandemic of hacked blogs. There’s no ill-feelings with regards to WordPress, its users or its developers. Folks using 2.3.3 and 2.5 don’t have to be concerned, they’re safe. But hundreds of legacy WordPress installations are being exploited every day and until folks upgrade, they are the next potential victims. I posted some more details on the matter here.
thanks,
-Ian
Technorati
Permalink
Ian -
Urging people to upgrade wouldn’t be vindictive; your first post on the issue was exactly on target. De-listing blogs is punitive, and I don’t see how that’s not vindictive.
“Removing vulnerable websites” is less trolling than misinformation. Nonetheless, for a blog search engine, being de-listed now means being basically unfindable in a very short amount of time (a week? 2?).
Permalink
Adam, when misinformation continues, it begins to sound like disinformation. Where did we say any blogs would be “delisted”? Suspending updates is not the same as removing data. You’re not the first one to try profiting from charging Technorati with ill-intent but I suggest you think this through in a broader context. Blogs are being hijacked at an accelerating pace. That’s a fact. Since my first post on this matter two months ago and evangelizing amongst bloggers hasn’t stemmed the tide, we would be remiss in not putting some boundaries around the issue. I’d say it’s responsibility, not bullying. When a restaurant has a “No Shirt No Shoes No Service” sign, it’s about health standards, not bullying. When we decline to update blogs that may be harboring data defaced by spammers, it’s not bullying. It’s leadership.
-Ian
Permalink
Ian - I corrected the post after your first comment.
I agree that updating server-side software is a huge issue that the vast majority of people are unaware of. I’m not trying to profit here. I’m simply unimpressed with your tactics. You’ve repeatedly shown that you prefer to take the tactic of de-listing sites (photomatt, binarybonsai, etc.) rather than dealing with deficiencies in the way you index.
The line between bullying and leadership is not a fine one. Singling out the few to scare the many into compliance is not leadership.
Permalink
Matt and other software developers/vendors who’ve ranked up as part of their software’s adoption *are* indexed. They may not be shown as a top 100 blog if their install footprint garners the links that would put them there but they are indexed. We’re serving the many (everyone else who garners links purely through what they blog about) by making exceptions in the top 100 for these edge cases (CMS, theme and plugin developers). The top 100 display is not the same as being indexed. The assertion I’ve seen elsewhere that we “ban” those blogs is FUD.
-Ian
Permalink
It’s true that you’ve fixed things lately, but when the practice started, those blogs also had no ranking, which calls into question the value of any rankings. The point is that google and other SE’s are quite capable of disregarding specific types of links.
Technorati is instead intent on punishing the people who create software that betters the blogosphere. The reason that people spread FUD about your service is that these moves are so cheap, that it leaves users with a bad taste in their mouth.
Other Posts You Might Enjoy
Link to Us