Referrers from sites with no link and porn sites?

[HK_photo]

Sorry complete idiot when it comes to this kind of thing. Can someone please explain why I am getting tons of referrers from sites that have no links to my site in them, alot of them are porno sites. And what can I do to stop them?
Thanks in advance...

[texanweb]

Is the referrers coming from a guestbook, a message board, or what is it?

[HK_photo]

Usually just from the idex page... and even though some of them have non porno names they all redirect to a pornon site...

[jdMorgan]

This is likely just "log spamming."

Many amateur sites leave their access logs or 'stats' pages unprotected, and so these pages are 'visible' on the Web. If there is a single incoming link to the log or stats page, then the search engines will pick it up. Then any site that can get its URL into your log file gets a free link. That's why they do it, and they don't care whether your stats are actually Web-accessible or not -- it's cheaper for them to just fire a salvo without even checking the target sites, and if they hit a few with open stats, they're happy.

Jim

[HK_photo]

Ok thats great thanks. Next Question... How do i stop it. I am loath to give some porno site free PR... I worked hard to get my #4 and...

[jdMorgan]

Are your stats or log files directly accessible from the Web without a password?

If so, see Apache Authentication, Authorization, and Access Control [httpd.apache.org] for more info.

If not, there's no need to worry about it.

Jim

[HK_photo]

Great thanks... Way over my head... I will ask my programming guy to look into this...
Other than giving these guys free PR is there any other issue with this that I need to worry about?
Thanks so much...

[kpaul]

Bandwidth if they start getting really bad. There are various ways to stop a lot of them, though.

[texanweb]

yea, some applications has banning programs built inside them or you can use your "IP Deny Manager" in your cpanel.

That's what I did with my guestbook. I had the same problem until I started banning people from my site. I banned people using my IP Deny Manager. I release those IP address's couple weeks ago after a 6 month period. I was just curious if they would come back. So far, I have not yet gotten one porn site on my guestbook.

[HK_photo]

Thanks thanks, TexanWeb, these porn sites are showing up in my webalizer not a guest book... any ideas how to find which IP to ban?

[texanweb]

Well, i don't think webalizer has any banning ip software in it, so go through our IP Deny Manager "IP Deny Manager" in your cpanel.

There may be a way through .htaccess, but I have no clue if there is one. I am new to the apache web server thing, so your guess is good as mine? I hope this helps!

[HK_photo]

Thanks for all the help. I figured it out. In the C-panel > File Manager > Set up Protect .htacess for the WEBALIZER folder. My Webalizer now requires login and password to get into and I am lead to believe that this will stop the insidious 'log jammers' sounds like some kind of...