Robert_Charlton - 9:29 pm on Sep 9, 2012 (gmt 0)

The problem is, lucy, that the engines want to index references to things. If you follow my threads above back to my first reported exchange with GoogleGuy, you'll see that I was similarly frustrated years ago.

Here's a fragment I started and then cut out of and earlier post...

My response in 2003...

...I'd suggest that less aggressive indexing here would be helpful. I can't imagine why Google would want to return a link to a blocked page.

My thoughts in July, 2012, in the thread I cited earlier in this discussion... [webmasterworld.com...]

I have very mixed thoughts about Google's aggressive indexing, btw. As a web professional who knows what I want indexed and what I don't, Google's aggressiveness in indexing has been a PITA. As a searcher looking for important information where webmasters have been too inept to make it visible, I can understand what Google's doing, and occasionally I've been glad they've done it. Bottom line, if you don't want something indexed, use noindex and/or password protection.

"Indexed" here being used in the sloppy sense of being displayed in the serps.