How is this possible?

[Chris Gwynne]

Hello

I've just posted a thread in my staff forum, which has all the restrictions and permissions set. Nobody can see it except for staff, nobody can access it except for staff.

Yet IMMEDIATELY upon posting, my who's online shows that a Guest is viewing that thread, but with a no permission error, because they can't view it.

A Guest is listed as trying to read it, not a crawler bot or anything, so my question, how has the URL to the thread become available that this guest can even attempt to go to it in the first place?


Regards,
Chris

[Gary King]

Maybe they can see the staff forum on the forumhome so they click on the 'Last Post' button?

[Steve Machol]

Logout, then try to view that thread as a guest.

[Chris Gwynne]

Logout, then try to view that thread as a guest.

Done and checked, they receive a no permission error, as I expected.

But how are they knowing to visit that thread when it's not viewable by public?

[Steve Machol]

Some people or scripts might be trying threadids in sequence. It ain't that hard.

[Zachery]

Do you have adsense? Any tool bars installed?

[Chris Gwynne]

Do you have adsense? Any tool bars installed?

I have adsense showing on showthread yep.... ah I see.

Wasn't aware that it'd be registered as a Guest though. I'm assuing that a bot crawls the page ASAP, or something to that effect?

[Zachery]

Bot checks the page, and then dispenses you with an add.

[amykhar]

If you don't add the Google Adsense spider to your list of spiders, it shows as a guest.