Set The Table Written by Sally Useful Indexes Indexes are used so that people can not casually go through all your directory contents. No one wants people taking whatever they want and passing around unindexed directories...unless you've done it specifically to share with people. But to make your indexes dead ends AND to htaccess your stuff just locks people out of your website entirely. I'm not sure why someone would do that. People see a page or a graphic that has no link to the homepage, but they love the graphic and want to see what other wonders your website holds...so they walk the URL going to the first directory...Here's some examples of what you might encounter.. Some indexes will give you a pop-up that tells you you've been refused access by the publisher. Some indexes will simply have a text phrase, often complete with a vulgar word or two. I've never understood why people need to do that. Some indexes might have a cute graphic telling you that you can't see anything else. I recently came across an open "Main" index of someone at a popular free host. There were possibly 20 directories inside all open. Someone could uploaded everything in her account. The funny thing is down at the bottom of the directories is an html page called filename.html....On that page is "a cute graphic telling you to get out of her files"....... When getting one of the above; most people will go on and walk the URL to the domain or user name, hoping to arrive at the main page at some point to view the rest of the website. What do you do when you get one of the above? I doubt you put it in your favorites... Your directory indexes can work for you. They can be a big catalyst for directing traffic to your site, and for search engine optimization. There are a couple of ways that can be done. The first is to have your indexes redirect people to your main index page. A meta redirect, or javascript redirect can accomplish this. With some of these redirects the person doesn't realize they've been redirected and you've supplied them with your main index page so they may use your website. Another way is to make the main page of each website the index page of its own directory. http://tandemtables.com/database/index.html. Then if people walk a URL they'll arrive at the main page for that section. Most people want others to visit their websites, so the more entries to your site, the more traffic you'll have. So get those indexes working for you from the "Main" index.html..as your sitemap to the directories and subs. Back to the Tribune Counted 2428