[buddypress-trac] [BuddyPress] #4831: BP bases site data/activity entries on WP search engine instructions

[buddypress-trac]

#4831: BP bases site data/activity entries on WP search engine instructions
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 Reporter:  hnla          |      Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Core          |    Version:
 Severity:  minor         |   Keywords:
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 If the WP dashboard option under settings > reading is set to checked to
 discourage search engines from indexing the site or page via robots.txt /
 meta tags Buddypress uses the option value to determine whether it shows
 or records activity stream data.

 The contention is this behaviour is wrong!

 If I have a site, essentially a private community; it has sub blogs I have
 checked the box as I do not want Google indexing however I do want those
 sites recording their activity. Presently this can't happen unless I
 uncheck the indexing option and let search engines index.

 BP appears to take the WP option 'blog_public' to be literal even though
 as far as I can see in /wp-includes/functions.php L:1077 & /wp-includes
 /general-template.php L:1709 WP uses the option value to set robots.txt &
 meta tags respectively.

 In bp-blogs-functions.php l:141 we check for value of
 ```$_POST['blog_public]``` to determine whether blog activity is recorded
 to activity stream.

 My argument is that using this option or post value to decide what to do
 is wrong as  it can't be determined that the user has set the index option
 for the right or wrong reasons and regardless the option is simply there
 to set an instruction to search engines that has no formal power, it
 doesn't have to be honoured. BP is thus saying as this option has a value
 we are going to assume that the intention is the user doesn't want their
 sub site activity recorded across the primary BP site, but that feels a
 bit of a assumption.

 I can understand the argument that indeed users may want to set their blog
 as 'Private' and that this is the only means possible that BP has to look
 for some clue as to the users desire but it's not a good one given this
 'blog_public' option really has little to do with privacy in the strict
 sense.

 I also realise there is likely little that can be done to effect a change
 as an option would need to be provided from individual blogs and also
 likely would really need to be a new option altogether.

 However I first ran across this issue reported by a user in respect of
 iirc forum (bbp) posts not displaying in activity stream and on a non MS
 install.

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Ticket URL: <https://buddypress.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/4831>
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