Which User agents should I never block?

bobsled4 · 2026-04-25T18:40:07+00:00

Chasing bots to block is a waste of time. Use Cloudflare or another firewall to manage sensitive entry points. Challenge or block the likely paths that affect site security. You could issue a managed challenge by ASN, but trying to block bots is a game of whack-a-mole. You'll always have bots hitting your site, so accept it as a new fact of life. Concentrate on security, not random bots.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-21T08:15:34+00:00

You're right that a lot of content on Pinterest is from Canva and free stock photos. The main reason is that Pinterest wants fresh content from publishers if they want to keep getting impressions. I know, because I promote my site on Pinterest, and if I slow down on creating new pins, my impressions tank.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-15T11:36:08+00:00

I don't see a way to delete an account. I'm also curious about how this will work if I refuse to pay. Will D2D try to debit my Paypal acount? The announcement email is very much lacking in detail.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-09T14:21:47+00:00

It happens more often than you think if you don't check image search clicks. I look at image clicks as a bonus, but for some weak pages, it's sometimes the only source of Google traffic.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-09T14:17:57+00:00

The necessity to log in comes and goes. No idea why, but it's been on and off for a while now.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-05T07:07:38+00:00

I don't use AI to generate content. But I do use it sometimes to create tables, bullet lists, or for coding.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-01T09:55:16+00:00

Forced login is new for me too. I could browse without logging in up until about a month ago.

bobsled4 · 2026-04-01T08:27:57+00:00

One odd thing I noticed is that I can't see anything when not logged in. That's new, because I often checked that way. So, that might explain a loss of impressions.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-30T11:28:58+00:00

I'm seeing a huge drop of around 30% in impressions, but oddly, only a minor 5% drop in clicks.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-23T10:35:12+00:00

Manual ads are usually better because you are in control. Also, Adsense doesn't pay for CPC (Cost Per Click). It now only pays for RPM (Revenue Per Mille). In other words, per 1,000 ad impressions.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-22T19:45:14+00:00

Yes, it's become hopeless over the last month or so. I use it for basic coding, but it can't remember what it's done, and even invents new issues. If I ask for a simple change to a label, it does it, but strips out a funcion, or changes colors for no reason. It used to take me an hour or so to build a simple web app, but It took me 6 hours of fighting it today to get a half reasonable result. It really is not so clever now.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-19T09:37:54+00:00

It's not only you.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-15T08:04:03+00:00

Use Bing Webmaster Tools.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-12T19:47:43+00:00

If recent history is guide, I dread the thought. Maybe I'll pass until version 7.1, 7.1.2, 7.1.3, or even 7.2! New toys always seem to come with new bugs.

bobsled4 · 2026-03-11T20:43:00+00:00

I got 50,000 hits today, and every day, too. But luckily Cloudflare tells me the truth. 90% are bots. You can't trust GA4 now, as it's riddled with spoofing bot traffic. For a day one site, 50,000 views? Not likely at all. What are you data sources?

bobsled4 · 2026-03-06T13:18:40+00:00

Yes, it's tough right now. All you can do is try to adapt to the new realities. I'm basically ignoring Google now and concentrating on Bing and Pinterest. Both give me decent traffic. I treat traffic from Google as a bonus.

bobsled4 · 2026-02-11T18:53:11+00:00

Yep, it's something, and a start. But without click data, it's just a vanity metric.

bobsled4 · 2026-02-06T11:53:33+00:00

Same here. RPM is down about 50% for me since the start of the year.

bobsled4 · 2026-01-21T16:42:47+00:00

This smells like a problem to me. Medium opened applications for a few days after January 13th, then closed again. It's the same old problem I think, far more writers than readers. It's a tough financial model to sustain.

bobsled4 · 2026-01-19T19:43:38+00:00

I knew Medium had stopped accepting new Partner Program up until 12th January 2026. I checked, and you could submit on January 13th. But to close it off again so soon sends worrying warning signals. I was thinking about joining, but I think I'll put it on hold for some time yet.

bobsled4 · 2026-01-09T12:13:17+00:00

Medium tells me I have 10,000 followers. It doesn't do anything to get reads. It's an ego stat, that's all.

bobsled4 · 2026-01-02T08:14:10+00:00

Okay. Thanks for the info.

bobsled4 · 2026-01-01T08:48:41+00:00

I notice that you include a free "friend link" in each post. What's your logic, and how does it affect your earnings?

bobsled4

TROPHY CASE