The most annoying and pointless code ever devised is....

tertius · #1 (**permalink**) 09-03-2003, 02:21 AM

When I'm searching for information, especially client, business, or development-related research, I'm on a mission--I want to get in and out of a site as quick as possible (usually non-billable time) so I can quickly gather and compile my research. Whatever slows me down on a site is taking money out of my pocket.

I'm curious what kinds of code you have seen that slows you down on a site or has no direct contribution to the site mission, and what coding "gems" annoy you the most!

mpnev · #2 (**permalink**) 09-03-2003, 02:26 AM

They all annoy me... so I didn't vote - they all annoy me to no end!!! hehe =)

Sualdam · #3 (**permalink**) 09-03-2003, 03:25 AM

My vote went for 'other'.

I HATE sites which are thrown up on a search engine with a synopsis exactly matching what you typed in, only to find you get a page full of advertisements (commercial or otherwise), no sign of any site content even approaching what you were after or, worse, the knowledge that you could spend an age trying to find it.

(mpnev: so what IS acceptable to you then? Is it all right if someone uses some content ;-) (joking)?)

wenwilder · #4 (**permalink**) 09-03-2003, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpnev

They all annoy me....

I'm with mpnev. I vote for an "Alllll of the above" option!

The information highway was formed to help physicists pass information between each other, it's now become entertainment central. There are site's that use these code's creatively and actually do a fairly decent job, but I sometimes wonder if they shouldn't come with warning labels. ;)

wenwilder · #5 (**permalink**) 09-03-2003, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpnev

They all annoy me....

I'm with mpnev. I vote for an "Alllll of the above" option!

The information highway was formed to help physicists pass information between each other, it's now become entertainment central. There are site's that use these code's creatively and actually do a fairly decent job, but I sometimes wonder if they shouldn't come with warning labels. ;)

harlow · #6 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 12:48 PM

I feel if pop-ups are used correctly; they are one of the least annoying things out there.

Obviously I'm not a fan of add pop-ups, but for photo galleries, or a little bit of info that you don't necessarily want to leave the page to get...pop-ups serve a great purpose.

Moondancer · #7 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 12:57 PM

I can't vote.. I hate them all equally.

Digital Mattsiah · #8 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:02 PM

The internet was created so that physists to exchange information with eachother? Like what? Porn?
All these things are going annoying to some degree. But, all of these things, when done tastefully and with sound design judgement (i.e. it means something to the gestalt of the site) can make your information getting experience less dull. Just not all at once...
If all you're seeking is information, get Neilson to make your site (boring robot). Obviously that kind of stale usability design isn't the kind of image that all companies want to convey. If it were, what a boring, boring place the internet would be.

Smarties · #9 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:07 PM

OK, you don't see flash intros that much these days but websites using 100% flash design can slows you down big time with thousands of effects and loading times.

I can understand why hummer has a flash web site, they don't need to have a good ranking, everybody knows them. But for smaller business it makes no sens tu use 100% flash design.

Personally, I don't like to see a businesses using 100% flash design because it distract me and makes me forget somtimes why I am on this website.

So my point is, if you want to do a nice artistic website, go for flash, I have the biggest respect for designer using that technology. But if you plan to promote your business online, send a strong message or make money online, then forget it!

Thank you for your time

dmcgill · #10 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:13 PM

Pages you can't get out of. I accept sites for our two websites and so open thousands of websites every day. When I get one that I can't hit the back button on my browser to close, that site is gone. That really bugs me. Also, porn sites that have innocent names, trying to submit to us that open up a whole bunch of pages in your browser. What are they trying to do? Do they think that the more inappropriate stuff I see the more likely I am going to buy a membership?? Not likely. I think that is nothing more than invasion of my privacy and dangerous to the young people out there who may not know what to do with those pages.
dmcgill

jhilgeman · #11 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:14 PM

I would say that for about 60-70% of the sites that I happen to visit, everything in-between <html> and </html> is useless.

I wouldn't vote for animations, since most of those aren't really code. Although I do find lots of Flash animation to be rather annoying.

Mouse trails: I've seen a few mouse trails that are kind of fun, but most are annoying.

Rotating background colors: Depends on usage. I don't see this a whole lot - some people try to use them artfully, but it's often just too much.

Page Enter/Exit Transitions: I would vote this the 2nd most annoying thing on the Internet, since I've never seen any site use these in any useful way, and they just take forever unless you hit the ESC key to skip them (thank God).

The absolute -MOST- annoying thing that I've ever happened upon in the Internet is... <drumroll>

SITES AND ADS THAT JUST WON'T GO AWAY!!! I see about one of these per day - either an ad that pops up that you can't close without using Alt+F4, or a site with a refresh/redirect that makes it nearly impossible to leave the site via normal usage of the Back button. Oh, that just burns me up.

- Jonathan

Dean Guilberry · #12 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:15 PM

I hate when you go to a page and there is sappy music and NO WAY TO STOP IT. This results in my IMMEDIATE return to the search engine to find another site that doesn't suck!

barblu · #13 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:15 PM

I just don't like being *surprised* when I go to a site - Like when I enter, the "Star Wars" theme blares and there are flashing lights all over the page hiding what I came to find. I don't NEED blinking, flashing, rotating or any of the other bits of designer "magic" to help me - I CAN read!!! I'll usually leave a page immediately if any or all of the above greets me - I figure it doesn't have the information I'm looking for.

mtheory · #14 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:24 PM

Don't hate the code hate the people that use the code.

Pop-ups, mouse trails, etc... don't ruin the internet, people that use them ruin the internet.

On the same note. Next time you get an unsolicited email. Don't contact the email marketer(usually a third party hire to market a product), go to the site they are promoting and let them know that you will not deal with a propegator of the problem.

Food for thought. You get this pop-up that contains a window with the contents of your C drive displayed.
One of the biggest culprits is Evidence Eliminater.
This is a trick to make you think someone is also looking at what you are seeing. Not so, what you see in your browser window is a command that has been initiated locally on your system. Check the code.

Why buy these evidence cleaners. If I were a government investegator, my obvious first targets would be people who bought one of these products and obviously have something to hide.

End of rant.

http://localshoppernetwork.com
http://theshorelinshopper.com

awcoatl · #15 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:24 PM

I agree with many of the above reference annoying web-gimmicks. However, I must admit to using one of them quite liberally on our web page; Rollovers. I think a little flash (lower case "f") for the visitor with a high speed connection is a good thing. A text rollover saves space and IMO, looks crisp and professional.

On our page, when the potential customer mouses over a picture of one of our watches, the pic goes to a 60% transparent and provides price and brand info. over it. Please see for yourself and let me know what y'all think -- www.antiquewatchco.com/html/american.html --

Now, all that being said, I did not do any of this on the front page, and offer 2 different directions for the visitor to go in order to view our inventory, based on their connection speed. The dial-up page consists of small single images and text written under each image.

The gimmick that makes me the maddest... mouse trails.

rascalpants · #16 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 01:38 PM

If these techniques/code are used in the right way, then they add a lot to a web site. But most are used poorly, so people end up hating them anyway...

I plan to use everone of them in my next project!

just kidding :)

rascalpants
New Media Designer

http://www.rascalpants.com
http://www.kcnewmedia.com

Ron · #17 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 02:07 PM

Mouse trails. To me, they are totally useless on eCommerce sites, especially when they're 'disguised' to convey the URL of the site, to the visitor.

lgtaylor · #18 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 02:33 PM

It has to be pop-ups! I cannot believe there aren't more votes for this annoying and pointless code. Of course, I refer to incessant ad pop-ups. If the advertiser ticks me off, what are his chances of making a sale? Nada! I especially hate the ones that take over my browsing, and then try to sell me a pop-up stopper! Isn't that kind of like the underground crime guys, who keep ripping off a store until the owner pays protection money?!

I don't know - it's diabolical.

Linda G. Taylor, GVA
411 Design Street

tconey · #19 (**permalink**) 09-04-2003, 02:41 PM

An ad that floats around the page, eventually settling in front of the information you're seeking and there is no (easily discernable?) way to get rid of it. I have only run across them on sites originating in the Far East, thank goodness they haven't caught on in the West!

Fly-In Ads are my #2. And anything else that makes me have to click closed to be rid of something I didn't ask for.

I don't