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Does a WP Theme Determine Privacy Settings?

by TiffanyLambert
11 replies
Hey Warriors!

I downloaded and implemented a free WP theme from Dosh Dosh and was posting to it, etc. It's created with AdSense codes installed so you just put your pub ID. (It doesn't scrape content - you do all the content yourself - just has a nice AdSense layout).

Anyhoo...I kept seeing Googlebots come and go but it wasn't indexed. THEN I go in today on a hunch and lo and behold the privacy settings were set to block search engines. Would this be a default for a WP blog or would a theme determine those settings?

I assumed it would be set to open to search engines - good thing I double checked.
tiff
#determine #privacy #settings #theme
  • Profile picture of the author crushthenet
    I think it asks you this when you install WordPress.
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    • Profile picture of the author TinkBD
      Hi Tiff -

      I think that it is a default setting in WordPress. It became an issue a couple of updates ago.

      I was working on a coaching client's blog last week. Her web master had installed it several months ago. She had been posting diligently and guess what I found when I started working on it... ;-(

      Gotta watch out for those pesky privacy settings! LOL

      Tink
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    • Profile picture of the author andi_gt2005
      Originally Posted by crushthenet View Post

      I think it asks you this when you install WordPress.
      It doesn't asks you, it's just the way it is when you first install wordpress. You have to manually choose the option of having your blog public.
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      • Profile picture of the author crushthenet
        Originally Posted by andi_gt2005 View Post

        It doesn't asks you, it's just the way it is when you first install wordpress. You have to manually choose the option of having your blog public.
        Isn't this it in the screenshot though, first page when installing.


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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    To answer the original question: no, themes are not supposed to affect the privacy settings. (Although there are enough crazy designers out there... so don't be surprized by anything!)

    Actually, I made an even prettier () snapshot... but there was a DB error and now the post is somewhere in the cyberspace.
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    • Profile picture of the author Chris Koltai
      I ran into this a month or so back, was trying to figure out why the heck a couple of my new sites hadn't gotten indexed.

      I'm pretty sure this is a Fantastico issue. If you install manually, it gives you the option to select whether or not to block the search engines. Fantastico blocks by default though.
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  • Profile picture of the author TiffanyLambert
    LOL Ah okay - I was hurrying right before bed for the install so I missed that one!
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  • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
    Originally Posted by Chris Koltai View Post

    I'm pretty sure this is a Fantastico issue. If you install manually, it gives you the option to select whether or not to block the search engines. Fantastico blocks by default though.
    Aha, that's why I have never seen it blocked by default: I never use Fantastico. I know many people prefer the easy 'automated' way... but I am a control-freak, so I will always go with the manual install.
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    • Profile picture of the author TinkBD
      I use Fantastico as well, so it is sounding more and more as though it is a Fantastico issue...
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      • Profile picture of the author thecableguy
        Originally Posted by TinkBD View Post

        I use Fantastico as well, so it is sounding more and more as though it is a Fantastico issue...
        No I think it depends on which version of Fantastico the hosting company runs. I use Hostgator and SEOhosting (also Hostgator) and one is set to block the searchengines by default and one isn't. But it's always good to check manually to see. One webhost switched the default without warning to block the searchengines and it was a few weeks before I noticed and had to go back and change my new installs.
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        • Profile picture of the author TinkBD
          Originally Posted by alanfukuda View Post

          No I think it depends on which version of Fantastico the hosting company runs. I use Hostgator and SEOhosting (also Hostgator) and one is set to block the searchengines by default and one isn't. But it's always good to check manually to see. One webhost switched the default without warning to block the searchengines and it was a few weeks before I noticed and had to go back and change my new installs.
          Thanks for the clarification.

          For the record, I use HG.

          Tink
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