Results 1 to 7 of 7

Thread: Google Search Leads to Format Change

  1. #1

    Default Google Search Leads to Format Change

    I know you guys (Scott) get(s) irritated with some of the dopier questions, so I apologize ahead of time. I'll try to describe what just happened. I'm not too tech-savvy so bear with me.

    After reading through the recently closed FAQ thread, I decided that I'd follow the advice given there. Instead of doing my usual 'search' using the M.C. search function, I allowed Google to do the searching. The search results were satisfactory (I found what I was looking for).

    The page Google lead me to was titled 'Mandolin Cafe Forum'. It did not look at all like anything I've seen on the forum before however. It had no fancy header, graphics or illustrations; no advertisements; just a plain white/blue page with the bare 'Forum' content.

    I closed the Google search and went back to log onto the Cafe site. I was surprised to find that the entire M.C. site had transformed/reverted into the same generic presentation I had seen in the Google search. No amount of closing and reopening the Cafe site resulted in the familiar presentation. As a last resort, I deleted the browsing history and was relieved to find that I could then open the good ole familiar M.Cafe site in all its glory.

    Any ideas what that adventure was all about?

  2. #2
    Registered User CWRoyds's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    San Rafael, Ca
    Posts
    700

    Default Re: Google Search Leads to Format Change

    I think that is a search of archived posts that google finds.
    I have found those before.
    At the top of the page there is usually a link that says something like "View in original format".
    If you click that, you will see the same page in the regular forum look.
    Mandolins: Northfield 5-Bar Artist Model "Old Dog", J Bovier F5 Special, Gibson A-00 (1940)
    Fiddles: 1920s Strad copy, 1930s Strad copy, Liu Xi T20, Liu Xi T19+ Dark.
    Guitars: Taylor 514c (1995), Gibson Southern Jumbo (1940s), Gibson L-48 (1940s), Les Paul Custom (1978), Fender Strat (Black/RWFB) (1984), Fender Strat (Candy Apple Red/MFB) (1985).
    Sitars: Hiren Roy KP (1980s), Naskar (1970s), Naskar (1960s).
    Misc: 8 Course Lute (L.K.Brown)

  3. The following members say thank you to CWRoyds for this post:


  4. #3
    Registered User Drew Streip's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    Chattanooga, TN
    Posts
    442
    Blog Entries
    2

    Default Re: Google Search Leads to Format Change

    Quote Originally Posted by FLATROCK HILL View Post
    I know you guys (Scott) get(s) irritated with some of the dopier questions, so I apologize ahead of time. I'll try to describe what just happened. I'm not too tech-savvy so bear with me.....

    ..........Any ideas what that adventure was all about?
    I don't know the whole "behind the scenes" but it's just a cached version of the page. It's common to find those no-frills forum pages, especially on older threads.

    Same thing happens for bike forums, which I also frequent.

  5. The following members say thank you to Drew Streip for this post:


  6. #4

    Default Re: Google Search Leads to Format Change

    Thanks guys. I've seen the "no frills" pages (as Drew called them) before of course. I've just never had it happen where I couldn't seem to escape that format.

  7. #5
    Administrator Mandolin Cafe's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 1998
    Location
    Lawrence, KS
    Posts
    3,835
    Blog Entries
    14

    Default Re: Google Search Leads to Format Change

    Google will find any view possible on most sites. There is a pull-down menu at the very far bottom left side of any forum page. It should be set to 'mandolin' and if it isn't you'll see a version of either the forum with no customization as it comes out of the box or the mobile version which will look even stranger on a desk-top. You're welcome to switch back and forth as your heart is content but it's possible Google picks some of these other versions up from time to time. When you click into the site from Google it may be one of those different views and it might reset your default view which you can change with that pull-down menu. The archive view also gets picked up in searches. Here's an example of that, and that link is also available at the very bottom of any page from the link titled Archive. You did nothing wrong, you just happened to click into a different view their search tools grabbed from us.

  8. #6
    Moderator MikeEdgerton's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Howell, NJ
    Posts
    26,875

    Default Re: Google Search Leads to Format Change

    By the way, this isn't new, it happens to me from time to time. You just change the settings back.
    "It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
    --M. Stillion

    "Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
    --J. Garber

  9. #7

    Default Re: Google Search Leads to Format Change

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandolin Cafe View Post
    ...When you click into the site from Google it may be one of those different views and it might reset your default view which you can change with that pull-down menu...
    Thanks. That must be what happened. I was the victim of an unauthorized default-view reset!

    Quote Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton View Post
    By the way, this isn't new, it happens to me from time to time. You just change the settings back.
    Thanks... It's a relief to know I'm not the only one and that there is an easy fix.

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •