[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #4696: Hide profiles.wordpress.org from non-logged in users

[Making WordPress.org]

#4696: Hide profiles.wordpress.org from non-logged in users
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 Reporter:  jdembowski  |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect      |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal      |   Milestone:
Component:  Profiles    |  Resolution:
 Keywords:              |
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Comment (by jonoaldersonwp):

 We're going round in circles. Let's summarise the moving parts.

 Having complete, accessible, rich profiles of real WordPress
 users/contributors on wordpress.org is a key part of the broader SEO
 'strategy' for the site (or, it would be, if we had such a thing). The
 profiles should be the definitive 'version' of these
 authors/users/contributors, in the context of WordPress.

 Therefore, failing to preserve the crawlability, indexability and UX of
 current, valid profiles isn't an option.

 Any scenario whereby we penalize legitimate users, consumers, or Google,
 will harm the visibility and performance of the wordpress.org site, and by
 extension, WordPress' reach.

 So, any solution to the problems of:
 1) Automated spam ''registrations'', and;
 2) Automated or manual spam profile ''content'', and;
 2) More sophisticated, manual spam ''detection/classification avoidance'';

 ...Must be dealt with in a way which doesn't:

 1) Impact the UX of profile pages
 2) Require users to logged-out visitors (Google)
 3) Prevent legitimate users from having/using/consuming profile content

 I maintain that the cleanest first-wave solution to reduce the sheer
 volume of spam is to:

 1) Implement modern, invisible spam prevention techniques on the
 registration form.
 2) Noindex empty profiles, until they're "not empty" (details TBD).
 3) Run profile content submissions/updates through Akismet.
 4) Continue to ensure that external links on profiles have a ''nofollow''
 attribute.

 Following this, we may wish to review further, more nuanced processes for
 more aggressive/sophisticated/nefarious abuse which these processes don't
 catch.

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Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/4696#comment:35>
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