strange URLs for posts in DU forums

[iverglas]

This has probably been asked before and I've missed it ... and I'm hugely curious (as I know others are). These are but a couple of examples (I've added spaces so I can emphasize what I'm talking about and not create a mile-wide post if I make it in plain text):

http://www. democraticunderground. com/discuss/duboard.php /http/www. txdps.state.tx. us/administration /crime_records/chl/ www.leftyblogs. com/cgi-bin/http//duboard.php ?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=462353&mesg_id=462353

http://www. democraticunderground. com/discuss/duboard.php /harveywasserman. com/bcnews.go.com /en.wikipedia.org/duboard.php ?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=462309&mesg_id=462309

What is this and how does it happen??

These things turn up in Google results all the time, for searches at

site:www.democraticunderground.com

You can knock out the bits I've bolded to get to the real McCoy, but the phenomenon itself stumps me.

[Skinner]

1. My guess is that someone posted an incorrect link somewhere on the Internet

and Google took it as the real link. And when people clicked the link, our software managed to pick a page to serve-up.

[iverglas]

2. hm

I don't know whether I understand that. ;)

give this one a try maybe

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php/http/www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/www.leftyblogs.com/cgi-bin/http//duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=462353&mesg_id=462353

and check the address line when you get there.

There really are countless permutations of these things, seemingly random other urls mashed in with the DU url.

The DU icons don't seem to make it through.

It's just mildly annoying to get these things instead of real DU threads on google searches, but I thought it might be something of interest at your end. If it's not something to have any concern about, I don't!


edit - aha - csziggy has the exact same question on this board at the moment, that EarlG has replied to.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=437x5143

One of you guys needs to click on the actual links and see what we're talking about. ;)