Website Annoyances

[mike_w]

I'd like to conduct a mini-survey - nothing specific, just to get a general opinion/feeling. It really is quite simple:

What annoys you about websites?

For me, things like Flash and Java annoy me. There are normally used where the job could be done with something much simpler. Excessive images also annoy me - they make pages take longer to load, and they often don't serve any purpose.

While I'm at it, I'd like to ask a bit more of a specific question: when you see blue text, you instantly associate it with links. However, do you associate blue headings with links? e.g.

I am a heading.

Thanks

Mike.

[klarrix]

Anything that makes it take longer to load without really helping you. Google have the right idea.

As for headings: no, unless they're underlined.

[Mimp]

Nope, and i probably wouldnt notice at all unless they did something when i waved the mouse over them. I'm am a bit slow tho, i didn't realise the news headings on the front page here were links for a long time.

Things that annoy me:
Pop ups obviously, and anything that loads the java wotsit. Takes forever on this computer and only once has it done something useful. Any sort of 'intro' even if its got a big skip button. Cluttered pages with too many adverts. Sites that are awkward at 800x600. Poorly written content. Blogs, unless they're by somone with something genuinely interesting to write.

[teachmech]

Pop up ads that hover over the web page are the most annoying thing ever.

[Nick F]

Apart from pop-ups I have to say adverts that are stuck right in the middle of some text.

[Dav0s]

pages that have a fixed width, i have a large monitor, let me use it (scan you are guilty)

pages built solely with tables, those slices jobs, yuk

people who underline text which isnt hyperlinks, ever so annoying

anything on the freewebs domain

much much more lol

[dave87]

Popunders annoy me as much as pop-ups, you get left with millions of them sometimes - really quite annoying.

[Norky]

I had to phone up O2 yesterday because their registration page was missing a text box and it wouldn't let me continue without filling in all the fields

[jklm_37]

badly laid out websites...basically those which no thought has gone into its design n ease of use...

oh n pop ups...

[Norky]

Flash websites, the bane of my existence.

[RedPutty]

links that dont look like links. Arty blogs i'm looking at you here!

adverts.

[Matt1eD]

Sites where it isn't apparent where to go for information
Sites without contact information
Web Forms
Blogs you have to register to comment on (I am guilty through lots of spam )
Java applets - my main email is all Java, it really is evil

[Mike Fishcake]

Those underlined hyperlink adverts that look for keywords to assign ads to automatically.

There's probably a techy name for them

[Dav0s]

intellitext or something like that :/

websites that dont work in firefox is a big nononono


nice thread mike

[IBM]

No simple uniform navigation system

No way of returning to the home page

Links that leave the current website and go to a different one, in the same browser window

Websites that aren't aesthetically pleasing (I don't care if they're graphic heavy, just as long as they look nice - that's why I've got broadband)

Flash intros

Flash intros that you can't skip

Sites that contain none of the information you need

Product sites that don't allow you to buy/view information on the products which interest you

Any site that requires you to register to do anything

websites that offer any sort of search facility/postcode recognition system which doesn't work

any kind of error. Ever. You're supposed to test it people.

[mike_w]

Hmm, I think I actually disagree with some of that...

Links that leave the current website and go to a different one, in the same browser window

I actually find the reverse annoying i.e. any links that open a new browser window. If I wanted a new window, I would have opened one myself!

Websites that aren't aesthetically pleasing (I don't care if they're graphic heavy, just as long as they look nice - that's why I've got broadband)

I hate image heavy websites - even on broadband, they take longer to load, and the images are often useless.

I do agree with most of the points though... such as navigation and having to register.