Inability to search forums via Google

[Erik Johnson]

I use Google on a regular basis to find old threads on the pre-phpBB3 forums as well as the current forum. This is the format that I use:

site:mtfca.com key word(s)

I recent weeks, I noticed that when I utilized this method, the hits from the pre-phpBB3 forums dwindled and there were zero hits from the current forum.

As of this week, when I do a Google site search, it yields nothing.

Here's an example that yields no hits yet this car has been mentioned numerous times on the forums over the years:

site:mtfca.com rip van winkle

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3A ... s-wiz-serp

Is this the new normal, i.e., I won't be able to search old forums in this manner? Or, am I doing something wrong?

[ThreePedalTapDancer]

Unfortunately it appears to be the new normal.

[DanTreace]

Same here

That just started a week or so ago.

I wonder if the Admin. can 'reset' something in the forum server to be able to have Google retrieve like before?

Would think its on the Forum end of things.....??

[Jim11787]

Same here

That just started a week or so ago.

I wonder if the Admin. can 'reset' something in the forum server to be able to have Google retrieve like before?

Would think its on the Forum end of things.....??

Hopefully it is something to do with this site and not Google and it can be fixed. I used it regularly to access info from old and new forums.

[ChrisB]

Yes we are aware of the problem. It has taken me a few days to look into this.

I went to Google today and made a few changes and they said to check back tomorrow.

Google reports that we have no Robots.txt file but the filemanager reports we have 2, in the same directory no less.

Will report back tomorrow.

Chris

[Mark Gregush]

Most of the search engines like Google have gone from finding information too sales listings, so only a few actual returns of what you are looking for might show up (if any) unless you know the exact title. Not just this site but even general information searches. Even if the information is found, it could be pages down.