Password protecting VS deleting posts

[lux7]

Hi all,

Imagine you have a membership website and you feel it's too scatterbrained.
You want to focus its content.

Do you think it's better to password protect the off-topic posts or to completely delete them? That's the situation I am in.

I focus on <topics involving social interactions at many levels> but I also read a lot and right now I feel my section on book summaries is too much of a mixed bag.

It might not look good in Google's eyes maybe.

But removing book summaries on off-topic stuff like health, wealth and business feels painful and I'm not sure it helps.

What would you do?


Mod's note: Also removed link to site. For everybody's protection, WebmasterWorld does not offer site reviews in the public areas of the forums.

[edited by: Robert_Charlton at 10:04 pm (utc) on Jun 10, 2019]
[edit reason] Edited to remove specifics. [/edit]

[goodroi]

If its weak content, with no links or traffic, I'd delete it. If its good content, I'd leave it. Maybe be careful with how its linked so it doesn't siphon vital link juice away from my money making pages. Some off-topic content is not the death of a site. It is often better to focus on building more on-topic content than it is to prune good but off-topic content. Off-topic content can possibly help your site if its gaining inbound links and traffic.

[tangor]

Might want to revise, AND ENFORCE, a set of TOS that clearly defines what material/content is allowed. Better to deal with these issues BEFORE THEY HAPPEN than after the fact.

These days folks are getting sensitive to any kind of "censorship" ... even if it is ordinary moderation to remain on topic.

Exercise your position as moderator for content allowed and go from there. ALSO never slack off! If you let one or two get by the "rules" then a social mob backlash is possible ... and none of that means a tick to g.

If your MEMBERSHIP site is structured properly you shouldn't have any problems ... when those who do not play nice and abide the rules get of out line ... they are no longer members.

Be fair, do it right. And ask yourself why you are allowing g to index the MEMBER SIDE of your website in the first place?

If you MEMBER SITE is about Cats and Dogs you certainly do not want to have posts about Datsun Cogs!

[tangor]

@lux7 ...

Further expansion on thoughts above ... if G can see your member only stuff, so can Dog+World ... and there would be no need for anyone to become a member.

Seems like there are two issues to address:

1. How to moderate content
2. Building a Member Only site.

In both cases you don't need G looking over your shoulder! Address g in robots.txt (g usually honors this), but be aware that any LINK to your member only content will become fair game in the g index via third party, etc. As for moderation, you will have to find your own way in that regard.

[lux7]

Thanks guys!

I am going through all the old posts now.
By "no links" you mean internal, external or both?

@tangor+, I didn't explain myself well, all posts are mine.
The members are paying for full access to the posts more than producing their own content.