Whats on your .htaccess?

[Yuzuki]

Do you use an .htaccess file?

I have recently gone around my sites and updating my .htaccess files. On some sites I had disabled hotlinking on others directory access, but I wasn't being consistent. For example, some had error pages, others would redirect to my homepage when there was an error.

I'm trying to keep similar rules across my sites now, so its easier to remember and update.

So what would be your ultimate .htaccess file? How much do you let your visitors see?

[anon]

I used to have a custom 404 page but I guess my coding went wrong somewhere and messed up my sites. I usually don't make them anyway.

Nowadays I only use .htaccess to block direct-linking. I used to replace direct-linked images with a NSFW image boasting free hentai but now the most anyone gets is this:
I use robots.txt to block off any unwarranted caching on my site. I'm paranoid about covering my tracks and I don't like it when sites archive my work without me knowing... esp. if it's work that I'm not exactly proud of. XD

[Mikari]

I just a 404 and 403 redirect to the main page of that particular site. I just recently put up a file for each site. I used to have a 404 page, but not anymore, I just direct people to the main page when the url doesn't exist.

[Yuzuki]

@Joe I used to do that too but it used to waste so much bandwidth anyways that now I just disable linking without redirecting them to a funny image. If I ever redirect to an image again it would probably be my button with my full domain written on it, thus making the other site advertise for mine. (Bwahahahaha).
You anti-linking pic is quite funny though!

What do you have in your robots to disable archiving? Besides the Way Back Machine is there any other archive going on?

@Mikari
I usually redirect back to the main page as well, except for error 403 (people trying to access my folders) who get this message. http://fushigiyuugi.net/403.html. I use the same image, but with a different message when I put my site offline for small maintenance.

[Eden]

I need to make error pages... and also update my direct linking image. It doens't use bandwidth at all because I host it on imageshack. Lol.

[anon]

@Joe I used to do that too but it used to waste so much bandwidth anyways that now I just disable linking without redirecting them to a funny image. If I ever redirect to an image again it would probably be my button with my full domain written on it, thus making the other site advertise for mine. (Bwahahahaha).
You anti-linking pic is quite funny though!

What do you have in your robots to disable archiving? Besides the Way Back Machine is there any other archive going on?

Oh, the image is uploaded to a free image host so no problem there. ;)

Google caches your website by default. I think some search engines do it too.

[Mikari]

I've seen a bunch of my fanarts on goggle images... which searching for entirely different subjects. XD They are linked to deviant art though.

[Sofia]

Google caches your website by default. I think some search engines do it too.

Unfortunately Google is not the only one, but you can ask the Way Back Machine to exclude your site. I did it a few years ago when I asked them to remove one of my old domains from their archive. This is obviously a partial solution to the problem since it doesn't work with search engines caches.

Anyway, this discussion reminded me that I should really look into the robots.txt thing. I've also been meaning to make custom error pages for a long time (actually remake since I had them before switching to Wordpress), but preventing my site from being archived by anybody is definitely more important as I'm quite paranoid about "anonymous archiving".

[Yuzuki]

@Sofia
Did they remove your site completely or only blocked it? I'm wondering cause I don't plan to renew an old domain I had, but I want it removed from the WBM. I wonder what happens when the domain is no longer there and there is no robots.txt telling them to hide the site? Will it show back online?

[Mikari]

I'm not particularly bothered by my site being archived in terms of there being an older version out there, I keep screen shots of old layouts and older versions of content I have sense revised posted in fandom archives anyway. Is there another downside to it beyond the part about an undated version continuing to exist? I haven't looked into the robot thing yet either.