MSFN and its lack of search results in Google, Bing, and all search engines depending on them

[AstroSkipper]

MSFN and its lack of search results in Google, Bing, and all search engines depending on them

As I had already reported in two other threads, starting from here:
https://msfn.org/board/topic/185966-my-browser-builds-part-5/page/192/#findComment-1287545
and from here:
https://msfn.org/board/topic/187750-sometimes-redirecting-to-spamgamble-site-when-accessing-msfnorgboard/page/8/#findComment-1287566
MSFN has been de-indexed and its search results removed from Google, Bing, and all other search engines which depend on them, as, for example, DuckDuckGo, Startpage, Ecosia, Qwant, eTools.ch, yahoo!, and so on. I call them Google's and Bing's slave machines. I am @AstroSkipper and located in Germany, and here are some screenshots to show you what I mean:



No relevant search results regarding MSFN. All that means MSFN is now stuck in the digital gulag starting with Google's Core Updates on 21 May 2026. And here a screenshot from Google Search with the search term "msfn.org":



Here you can clearly see that Google considers MSFN a spammer as sites with domain msfn.org are shown in Thai or Siamese language. Now, my question to all members of MSFN:

Are you also affected?

Please post screenshots of search results with the search term "MSFN Windows XP" for exact comparison! Or alternatively, state in a clear sentence which country you are from and whether you are affected or not!  

And here are screenshots of the last two major search engines, Brave and Mojeek, which show correct results without the foreign Thai language to indicate spammer sites:






We need information from all countries to see if there is a real problem and to report it then to the site owner/administrator @xper and supervisor @Tripredacus. And one thing is crystal clear: Nihil semper ad nihilum!

Cheers, AstroSkipper 

Edited Saturday at 09:26 AM by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[NotHereToPlayGames]

While I applaud the "enthusiasm" and you already know my perspective (that the owner has FULL BLAME), I have to say that there comes a point where this is nothing but "beating a dead horse".

THREE threads?  Inciting a riot?  Violation of forum rules?  I did it myself (the "out of context" 'bump').  So *YES*, again, I AGREE WITH YOU.

But I still think "we" are beating a dead horse.  "No answer is an answer."

I guess I don't care anymore, it's been like this since January, to some countries more than others.

 

You asked for feedback.  That is mine.  It's not "in lock-step with" yours, but it is still in AGREEMENT with yours.

No matter how often either one of us 'bumps', the owner/admins/supervisors have "already spoken".

 

Carry on...

[AstroSkipper]

25 minutes ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

You asked for feedback.  That is mine.  It's not "in lock-step with" yours, but it is still in AGREEMENT with yours.

No matter how often either one of us 'bumps', the owner/admins/supervisors have "already spoken".

 

Carry on...

@Dave-H wanted to have a new topic on that matter as our posts didn't match the topic where we posted first. And your feedback isn't what I asked for, so it's unfortunately useless.  But since you delete your posted images anyways, it would be enough if you stated whether you are affected or not.

Edited Friday at 08:45 PM by AstroSkipper
Update of content

[NotHereToPlayGames]

19 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

it would be enough if you stated whether you are affected or not.

I am affected "now".  As of just a few days ago.

But prior to that, no effect here.

So it's possible (strictly theoretically) that this "issue" that was gradually rolled out to all, will also gradually "un-roll".

But only AFTER the owner "takes action".  Google isn't going to do it "for him".

[AstroSkipper]

12 minutes ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

So it's possible (strictly theoretically) that this "issue" that was gradually rolled out to all, will also gradually "un-roll".

I personally do not believe that. MSFN has been de-indexed, and I can't image that re-indexing is possible as all this data has probably been deleted. I assume it would only be possible to allow MSFN to be indexed again.

18 minutes ago, NotHereToPlayGames said:

But only AFTER the owner "takes action".  Google isn't going to do it "for him".

I totally agree with you in this point.

[NotHereToPlayGames]

It's been two decades since I ran a website.

But I have ran a website so there is at least a tiny shred of experience doing this speaking.  Old and probably outdated, I cannot speak towards that.

Back then, *I* (as owner of that website server) had to define what content could be "crawled" by search bots.

I cannot speak for "today", but I have to assume that the owner of any website "still" has to define what content can even be SEEN by search bots.

And what content is **HIDDEN** from search bots.

Not to keep beating the dead horse, but all of that falls on the OWNER.  I continue to place *zero* "blame" upon Google.

They have a "brand" to PROTECT.  And "allowing" Siamese results CUTS INTO that "reputation".

[EliraFriesnan]

@AstroSkipper, with all my love to you, a bit of explanations regarding Asia.

The proper language name is Siamese, as it includes a much broader region, set of countries: NOT only Thailand/Siam itself.
It's spoken in Central Thailand and Thai Chinese enclaves throughout the country, Cambodia (Koh Kong), Myanmar (Tanintharyi).

Speakers: L2: 44 million (2024), Total: 71 million (2024)
Language family: Kam–Tai

I guess it's way more than 71 million now! It's a rather huge number, surely could be highly profitable for the spamming, ad purposes.

[EliraFriesnan]

The resullts with mojeek.com shown to me basically suck, look at them.
1st = absolutely not popular topic made by an obscure member who left ages ago.
2nd = "Hello MSFN! - Introduce Yourself!", Who would be interested in that?!?!?
That's it!
Conclusion, mojeek is as bad as others, and the resullts look like they can vanish any minute, too. 

Basically it looks like leftovers from old indexing.

Gästebuch (Guestbook) shown in German language, as expected from my location, but it's not relevant and shows 404, mojeek.com gave me plain HTTP link, which again tells it sucks.

Sorry for my opinion.

[AstroSkipper]

@EliraFriesnan Thanks for your information and posting! But what about Google, Bing and their slaves? 🤔 Are you also affected?  And as for Mojeek, at least our forum is still recognised by this British search engine at all  and, above all, Mojeek is one of the last independent search engines or maybe indeed the last one. 

Edited Saturday at 09:24 AM by AstroSkipper

[Ben Markson]

I can get msfn results from google if I do a site:msfn.org search, I then get a mixture of correct results and the hacked results.

So, there are results there but it's as if the Google crawler has been fed the hacked results. As I still can't find a way to arrive on one of these hacked pages I assume it's Google's own crawler that has been compromised.


FWIW, this is https://msfn.org/robots.txt
 User-agent: *
 Allow: /

Ben.

[AstroSkipper]

8 minutes ago, Ben Markson said:

I can get msfn results from google if I do a site:msfn.org search, I then get a mixture of correct results and the hacked results.

So, there are results there but it's as if the Google crawler has been fed the hacked results. As I still can't find a way to arrive on one of these hacked pages I assume it's Google's own crawler that has been compromised.


FWIW, this is https://msfn.org/robots.txt
 User-agent: *
 Allow: /

Ben.

What are your results when you try the search string "MSFN Windows XP"? 

[Ben Markson]

13 minutes ago, AstroSkipper said:

What are your results when you try the search string "MSFN Windows XP"?

If I just do "MSFN Windows XP" then there are no results from msfn.org

If I do site:msfn.org "MSFN Windows XP" then there are lots of msfn.org results. Again, a mixture of correct and hacked results.

A 'site' search seems to reveal the results that are otherwise hidden.

Ben.

[EliraFriesnan]

3 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

Bing and their slaves?

ecosia.org

[EliraFriesnan]

This time ecosia.org thought I'm not Swiss, when I looked up for you. 

Wrong location.

Edited Saturday at 09:53 AM by EliraFriesnan
Wrong location.

[EliraFriesnan]

3 hours ago, AstroSkipper said:

But what about Google?

Google.co.uk properly identifies my location and shows 1 Siamese result and zero real MSFN results.