Strange thing with mod_rewrite

[Jim_Westergren]

I just saw that Yahoo had listed 75 webpages of my directory and when I looked at the URLs they look this this!: (not all but many)

http://www.addurl-free.com/Shopping/Automotive/Arts/Sports/Science/Recreation/Travel

This is valid: "/Shopping/Automotive" but then after that it comes all kind of weird directories. But the URL work so I don't complain but it is a but strange. And I don't know if it's good for the SEs.

I just checked, it is not the same in Google or MSN.

Thanks.

[Jim_Westergren]

-
-
EDIT: This is not a solution, see later posts.
-
-

Solved !

In main.tpl:

Find:
Content visible to registered users only.

Replace with:
Content visible to registered users only.

Find:
Content visible to registered users only.

Replace with:
Content visible to registered users only.

The URL should already be in the db so perhaps the staff here can make a function that calls the URL in the next PHPLD update.

[kickass]

Hey, you php coding gurus, any way you can give us a way to change this in the core code? The reason I'm asking is because I'm designing some templates for php link directory and would rather not have this fix in the template files if there's another way to do it. The templates are confusing enough to noobs without adding in another thing to be changed for a setup. Thanks!

[kickass]

**IMPORTANT** This fix does not work! If you modify your main.tpl file in the above way, then when you click a subcat it will bring you to the main page of your directory instead of to the subcat list. Jim, did you check your directory to see if yours is working???

[seothatworks]

IMHO a lot of problems are often site specific, this one could have been cause by just one badly formated url, or maybe other thing... Until it gets confirmed from other people, I tend to believe the problem is specific to Jim's site.

PS. Just did a quick investigation and to me the problem seems to have been with the index2.php (custom, unrelated to phpld distribution) file that was temporary present on the site just when Yahoo was spidering it and perhaps something was wrong with it. Just a speculation, though.

[David]

I know we had a problem with this before with someone and it was related to the title_url field for the categories but I don't recall exactly what it was. Is it possible this field is empty? Maybe you imported categories, but did not edit this field?

[Ap0s7le]

kickass,

Many times I'll find on certain platforms that one fix may not work on another.

If he found the solution to his problem, that's for him to say. More than likely he wouldn't say he found it if he hadn't got it working locally under his install.

I have not tested this, as I haven't had the problem to try to resolve in the first place. Once again, I'm on a different platform than he is.

Thanks

[kickass]

Point being that people using this fix should test to see if it "breaks" their installation. It broke mine, so I had to remove the fix.

[Ap0s7le]

Wouldn't it be testing it in the first place?

You can't test it without first trying it.

later

-Casey

[David]

Still waiting to know about the title_url field...

[vkaryl]

Well, actually, when I tweak a problem of this nature, and get it sorted and working on an install of my own, I usually include the following at the beginning of the posted "fix":

I've tried this on my own installation. It works for me on (followed by the programs installed, server type, OS - whatever is relevant). YMMV!! (Shorthand for Your Mileage May Vary!! - as in, yes it works for me, but it may certainly NOT work for you.) Backup EVERYTHING before you start!

One really needs to remind people that each installation, machine, server, package etc. is different. I've had fixes I've done on phpBB work fine on one board, and totally blow up another - on the same server, machine, version, etc.

It's just good business to mention that a fix is "personal-specific" - unless one is a very high powered programming genius in multiple languages (heh - that doesn't describe ME for sure!)

[Jim_Westergren]

Ok I am just back from being away for some days.

I checked it again and actually it only works partly. If I go to a cat and then click on a subcat it goes to the index page so it doesn't work really and I will now remove it. However there should be some fix on this which would be good.

I will now also add a comment on my post #2 in this thread, maybe a mod should delete it.

Thanks.

[seothatworks]

Content visible to registered users only.

I think the problem was made by your installing misconfigured index2.php file for a short time that Yahoo just happened to spider. Nothing wrong with PHPLD. I am not completely sure but until another possible reason will be found, I think that was the index2.php, not the current one but the old one. How I found that was that I searched for what links to that looooong url, and index2 was the culprit.

[Jim_Westergren]

Hmm.

Could be the index2.php but that one I ahve changed quite some ago to a normal page.

I just checked with Yahoo and it has now more then 700 indexed files in the index. I checked with MSN and G but they are fine.

A bit strange but we can wait and is what happens now when I changed it back.

[seothatworks]

I think once Yahoo will reindex, you will be fine. It was just bad timing. I have now one site with 100 pages wrongly indexed just because there was one bad url put overnight, deleted next day, but it still got into search engine index :(.

[minstrel]

It's also possible that it's a Yahoo problem.

1. That sort of complaint about Yahoo's URLs has been noted previously on various SEO forums -- add to that a possible algorithm change suggested in various places and it may be another Yahoo glitch

2. the OP indicated that the problem only existed in Yahoo, not in MSN or Google -- hard to see how the software could be doing that

[kickass]

Well, Jim, though I'm sorry your fix didn't work, I am happy to hear I'm not nuts, incompetent or delusional.
:wink:

Thanks for clearing this up for us. That was very sweet and very responsible.

[Sharr76]

the Google sitemap generator made more then 10 000 URLs when I only have 300 at the most. I am worried that this might not be good for search engines? :shock:

Anyone got any ideas?

[kickass]

Wow. um, er, . . . wow.

Re google, that might actually not be a bad thing . . . but I would check to see if you're over on bandwidth this month due to spider munching activity . . .

[Sharr76]

My bandwidth is ok, only used 329.35 Meg

[Jim_Westergren]

Yesterday I updated my Google sitemap and I got the same effect.

In my example in one directory it somehow reach all other directories as being under that one.

There is something not fully right with the script.

And Yahoo has now indexed 2,260 webpages while I only have 250.

But I don't think it is a major issue, but it should be checked.

Thanks.