[Programmist]

Up until a few weeks ago I had hardly seen anything from Experts Exchange, but some of my recent database-related searches pulled up "results" on their page. I'm quoting "results" because as many of you know, once you get to the site that supposedly has the answer you seek, you are confronted with a message telling you to register for a "free trial" in order to get the answer. I've heard people defend EE saying that it's just people trying to make a buck for their help. I have no problem with individuals trying to better themselves. What I have a problem with is their so-called results showing up in my google search ahead of results with the same information on sites where it's FREE. I never have and I never will pay someone to give me information that I can get elsewhere for free or that should be freely available to the public. So, this is a service I don't need and would never purchase and therefore it irritates me that it ends up in my results. I would expect that any site whose intent is to sell me something would show up in "Sponsored Links" area. Surely I can't be the only one who has beet irritated by this. Doesn't this violate some Google policy? Does anyone know of a way to filter Google results?

And, yes, I know that if I register and answer X number of questions per month my fee is waived, but I have a life and no wish to contribute to a site that stifles the free exchange of information. When I publish a blog entry or help someone with a problem in my area of expertise I consider it public domain - anyone can access it.

This post has been edited by Programmist: 12 September 2008 - 10:05 AM

[Amadeus]

I agree. I've often been irritated with the number of EE results that show up. I see them sitting there, mocking me, knowing that I'd have to register to see them. It's not for me...I too prefer freely accessible information.

[girasquid]

I don't know about you guys, but I've noticed that if you scroll down the results are all there at the bottom anyway.

[Programmist]

I heard that before and found that it used to be true, but not recently. Now they block out all answers (for me at least).

This post has been edited by Programmist: 12 September 2008 - 11:20 AM

[Amadeus]

Yeah...I thought they recently changed to block it all.

[girasquid]

That's strange - I just brought up a random result and they aren't blocked for me: http://www.experts-e...Q_22540820.html

[Programmist]

The answers on the result you posted are blocked for me. Whether they block all people or just some people they still suck.

[baavgai]

Agreed, the site is a speedbump on the superhighway for developers. It throws worthless entries into almost every google search I do. I probably curse them daily.

I truly wish I could maintain a site blacklist on google and remove some of noise from the sound.

[WolfCoder]

It's a good thing there's dreamincode. Answers to questions are always free, but you still have to pay money or contribute so you don't see a mutant child missing half their mouth.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 12 September 2008 - 12:06 PM

[mocker]

There's a way to get the results without signing up, which I encourage everyone to use because Experts Exchange is a commercial greedy ripoff of what the internet is all about.

Anyways, if you set your user-agent to Googlebots, the answers will be in the html. This is how they spam googles results to get high scores even though you can't see the results when you follow the links. Sneaky, shady, and IMO should automatically ban them from google .

If you are using Firefox you can set your user-agent two ways:
Use config:about in the url (http://johnbokma.com/mexit/2004/04/24/changinguseragent.html)
Or use the user-agent addon (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/59 )

Once you do that, go to the Experts Exchange page. It will still look hidden because they hide the answers with css (another thing google is SUPPOSED to block sites for)
I checked the css and found adding this code will cause the answers to display at the bottom:
#EchoTopic {
background-color: #00f;
display: block;
color: #000;
}
I used firebug to tweak the css . If someone could make a greasemonkey script to automatically switch user-agent and css for Expert Exchange sites that would be great, otherwise I may look into it later.

Using google phishing tactics like Experts Exchange does is supposed to get sites blocked, and I wish it did because I hate what they to the open flow of information. Please, no one support them

[girasquid]

Whoops! After visiting the URL again, they're blocked for me now too. I wonder what happened there.

[WolfCoder]

Report them to Google, and thanks for the info!
thanks+1

It should block anything that's hidden or is placed in a font size too small, or who's color differs from the background color of the page by less than 20% or so as irrelevant information. This is hard enough to see as is, but it's still visible.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 12 September 2008 - 12:24 PM

[homemade-jam]

Yeah, google should definitely do something about demoting them, every c0de question i ask google it gives me some pay per view ee answer!

[Damage]

that does suck, when you can't find just what you want and all of a sudden that freaking site pops up with someone having asked exactly the same question as you and....it;s hidden.
Yup

Quote

I probably curse them daily.

[BetaWar]

I avoid them with a passion. I just can't stand that they try to sell us answers when if they would just get totally deleted from google there would be the exact same (if not better) answer on the front page.