Not exactly. I don't recall Experts Exchange ever implying their data was free.

It was more like:

"You know that flavor you desperately need? We've got it, and we'll show you the box, but if you want to taste it you'll have to pay."

Don't get me wrong - I hated EE and I'm glad to see them gone from Google, but I don't think they implied their content was free.

When they show the content to free for google, that implies to me that the content is not behind a paywall. Showing different things to Google and to me is deceptive. It would be like a manufacturer someone finding out where Consumer Reports buys their test cars, and sending special high quality cars there, while selling the rest of us normal crappy cars.

yes, but to extend the metaphor, it's as though they offered a reporter free icecream and tricked him into writing a piece about it in the paper, rather than purchasing an ad.