Browsers

Can you identify these?

[designfreak]

Working too hard!

MS Web Ctrl
MOSES 2.0 Spider
LinkWalker
teoma_agent3
Zeus 9718 Webster Pro V2.9 Win32
LinkLint-checkonly/2.1
WebEnhancer
EmailSiphon
RealNamesBot/2.7
True_Robot/1.0 libwww/5.2.8

[theperlyking]

A couple of those (linkwalker and linklint) look like the kind of tool people use to check their bookmarks are still correct.

EmailSiphon is an email address harvester used by spammers, I would personally ban that if it entered my sites:)

edit: OH, and I believe its the polite custom here to welcome newer members to WebmasterWorld, so Designfreak, welcome to WmW :)

[designfreak]

Thanks for your welcome - often when a new-comer arrives to boards people can be a cold (I know this from experience with stock boards!)

What software do poeple use to datamine?

[Woz]

Welcome designfreak

>Zeus 9718 Webster Pro V2.9 Win32

Zeus is a themed directory builder that is often mentioned in these and other fora. The number, 9718, is the IQ of that particular copy of the program and refers to the amount of "learning" the robot has done with the user refining the search phrases that trigger whether the site being spidered is to be included in the database. 9718 is quite a high IQ which means that you site will probably be listed in quite a comprehensive directory. Also, it is a Pro version meaning that someone paid for it to get additional features. In this case I would consider myself fortunate to be looked at by this particular Zeus.

Hope this helps,

Onya
Woz

[designfreak]

Woz

Would this Zeus browser be a new/unknown search engine or could it be a competitor that has bought this technology and is using it to learn more about us?

Design Freak

[Woz]

designfreak,

Zeus is used to build (usually) very niche directories based around a theme. If you have been looked at then it means someone is looking for sites to include in their directory. Whether your site would fit the bill or not is unknown untill they send you an email letting you know you have been included. The idea of Zeus is two fold:-

1. to build directories, &
2. to get incoming links from sites listed in the directory.

For more information about Zeus, pop on over here [cyber-robotics.com], and for examples of Zeus generated directories, go here [zeuscollective.com].

It is probably not a competitor, I wouldn't be too worried.

Onya
Woz

[designfreak]

Would being part of these pseudo link farms be detrimental to my search engine ranking as some actively "deduct points" from sites that have links to them from link farms

[Woz]

I wouldn't call them link farms as such. Have a look at some of the examples in the second link above and you will see that they are themed directories. This is due to the way Zeus works by looking only for sites that fit the accepted key phrases as set by the operator.

I doubt that SEs would penalise you for being linked, rather the opposite. Depending on how well the directory is constructed, some of them may be seen as authorities by the SEs giving the link to you a boost.

Relax, Don't Worry.

Woz

[designfreak]

Cheers!!

Idea: Sit back have another glass of water (no beer at work)!

Design Freak!