Crackdown on Hidden Text and Hidden Links Pending?

After soooo much complaining, will it really happen?

[martinibuster]

According to GoogleGuy [webmasterworld.com],

I'd appreciate any spam reports of pages with hidden text or hidden links over the next couple weeks. If you've already submitted a report on a page, you don't need to re-submit it though.

I had a feeling that a crackdown was in the works because of all the griping going on.

I suspect that the update is late because they are tweaking the algo to deal with this kind of spam.

[pendanticist]

Boy, that'll have 'em in a frenzy won't it? I can see it now... all those webmasters scrambling and scurrying around in an attempt to make repairs.....

Pendanticist.

[skibum]

Sounds like a good plan.

[austtr]

martinibuster.... I wonder if your tongue was planted firmly in your cheek when you started this thread <grin> ... or were you just working a juicy bait off the port bow?

I'd like to share your optimism but in a fairly recent thread on this it was more or less agreed that not only is there an enormous number of trick techniques, but many would be almost impossible to detect using alorithmic methods.

The cases needing human intervention would probably occupy a small army for quite some time and given Googles' well publicised preference for automated management, I'd be surprised to see that happen.

But hey... I'd love to be surprised and it sure would be refreshing to see a start made on the stuff that does appear on Google's radar.