...Yes, that's right. I'm still here!
Sorry for the sudden disappearance. The Host and I decided to shut-up-shop for a little while due to some unusual happenings. You see, certain posts were getting an inordinate number of page views from France which started at the same time as that horrific attack in Nice, which was worrying.
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| Eek! Leave me alone, France. Don't make me take out a restraining order! |
I didn't notice immediately as I'd been away from the blog, busy with other things. However, when I did take note of what was going on, the Host said it appeared to be some sort of 'bot fixated on eight recent posts, and probably not some anti-terrorist organisation trying to decipher what on Earth this blog is all about. I was slightly disappointed, as I quite liked the idea of the dignified French ambassador and her contingent of gendarmerie puzzling over !depparT (as I've reverted "!depparT" to draft [see EDIT below], I've linked to a similar post instead) while tucking into a pyramid of Ferrero Rocher.
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| I've never been so popular! |
I thought, perhaps, that it would stop, but every day brought another forty-odd hits per post. After a few days of it ruining my stats, I decided to take action. The only thing I could think to do other than deleting the blog was to hide it. Not having much luck with obscuration spells (magic and technology don't mix well), the Host settled on making the blog private (I couldn't find a way to temporarily hide it), reasoning that the 'bot wouldn't be able to RSVP as I hadn't issued it with an invitation.
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| Ha! That stopped you, didn't it?! (Those little blips from the 24th are me just checking in) |
And this is where I must apologise to you, my faithful viewers. Having given you no notice* - other than a couple of comments over at The Very Mistress MJ's, reasoning that most of you also visit Infomaniac (well, she's very accomodating, isn't she?!) - it probably looked like, after you didn't receive invitations to the private party, that I'd snubbed you! So, please accept my apologies for any confusion and feelings of being-the-last-one-picked-for-the-sports-team-at-school.
So, anyway, we're back! I hope now that it's been a little while, that 'bot has buggered off somewhere else, and before I even think about resuming normal service (if there is such a thing), I'm going to visit your blogs and see what you've been up to.
::EDIT 16:06::
Well, that didn't work. No sooner do I show my face than that bloody 'bot is back causing havok! To counter its advances this time, I have taken advice from The Very Mistress MJ's Official IT Consultant (and Pillow Fluffer), LẌ, and reverted the eight posts to draft.
* Yes, I know I could have commented at each of your blogs to let you know what was going on, but I
Well.... NO CAKE FOR YOU!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNice to see you back.... I might even post something...
Sx
Waaaaaaaahhhhh! But I love cake! Still, a new post from you will go some way to make up for the lack of cake. I hope you enjoyed all of yours?
DeleteI could eat more if you're offering....
ReplyDeleteSx
Well, I do keep meaning to make a cake. I'll see what I can do...
DeleteThose pesky Frogs!
ReplyDeleteFYI one can temporarily hide selected posts in Blogger with losing the post or comments. Go to the list of posts. On the desired post, click Edit, then click Revert To Draft. To un-hide the post, click Edit, then click Publish.
D'oh! Why didn't I think of that? Obviously, this is why The Very Mistress has employed you as her personal IT consultant, LẌ.
DeleteI've put your technological trickery to use, as it's happening again!
DeleteThat should be "without losing the post or comments." Sorry.
DeleteBest wishes with the new infestation!
I was thinking maybe that you and MJ ran off and were having an torrid heated sexacade together. Still aren't sold you aren't. I noticed that she has not surfaced yet
ReplyDeleteNot surfaced yet? Well, I'm not feeling a warm, fuzzy glow, so she must be sexcapading with someone else! The strumpet.
DeleteWelcome back IDV - at least for the time being. Someone has an unhealthy interest in your last eight posts.
ReplyDeleteWonder what will happen now.
Thank you, Mago. It's good to be back.
DeleteI don't know what the fascination is with those posts? I'm considering changing the names of one or two of the post titles - because I think that might muck up existing links/searches - to see what happens...
Welcome back!
ReplyDeleteI, too, had the same problem last month with that damned bot being routed through France! A few times, I've had to limit my blog settings to blog author(s) only for a day or two, & sometimes for a couple of hours, once I figured out the peak time that stupid bot started linking to my posts. And after a few weeks, it worked! The bot didn't link to my posts anymore. Fingers crossed that the same will happen & the bot leaves you alone. Nothing as annoying as a persistent bugger who just can't take a hint & keeps pestering you for attention!
Here's to hoping that the annoying bot gets squashed soon. And here's to hoping that whoever created that bot trips & falls into some poison ivy; runs out of toilet tissue at the most inopportune time; & has some weird lady in black jump out twirling & dancing, startling him every time he sits down to a meal or when he's about to fall asleep!
Thank you!
DeleteI'm glad to hear the 'bot finally got the message over at your place. I've reverted the posts in question to draft (changing the titles and the time they were posted didn't work) - I'll keep them that way for a little while before reintroducing them to the blogworld. The only other thing I can think of is to copy them into a new post, but then I'd lose the comments (unless I take a screenshot and include them in the post as an image).
I'd also like to see the weird lady in black jump out at him while he's on the loo without toilet tissue!
mon fucking dieu!
ReplyDeleteZut alors! My thoughts exactly!
DeleteCould the French have mistaken "!depparT" for Gérard DEPARDIEU?
ReplyDeleteYes! This is far more likely than some robot (we're not living in the future, after all) fixated on my blog.
Delete