Site forcing autodownload via active X?

[Oaf357]

A site (ranked above mine for a keyword phrase of mine) isn't using any of the "obvious" spam tactics but it is utilizing some misleading ActiveX controls and attempting to force users to download an executable (Windows) file.

Is this (in a sense) spam or just a terrible idea?

[mrguy]

If the person searching for your industry keyword or phrase is getting what they searched, then it's not spam.

The last Google update made this quite clear.

[heini]

If I understand you correctly, you say the tactics you find problematic, are not aimed at getting higer rankings? You just don't like what the site offers to it's users?
If so, how is that anything to do with spam?

[NotePad]

may not be "spam" per se, but that is annoying as hell.

one of my favorite programs is spybot search and destroy, not sure if it will help in this situation but it prevents alot of this kind of malarky..especially with gator.

by the way...the folks at gator can rot in hell IMHO.

[Marcia]

Are searchers arriving at the same URL that's appearing in the SERPs, or being redirected to a forced malicious download?

Searchers click to look at a site. Unless it's clearly indicated that it's a direct automatic download and that is exactly what searchers are looking for, it's deceptive and irrelevant. Google is a search engine, not a site providing links to downloads.

Report them.

[Oaf357]

Users are getting more than they asked for. Sometimes unknowingly.

[Marcia]

Be brief and specific

[google.com...]

[Oaf357]

Reported. Thanks.