What elements of websites annoy you the most? I'm thinking of 'accept cookies' prompts, etc. Especially interested in specific examples, but also general patterns. Working on something simple to block them all.
Distractions. I am text-oriented and easily distracted,
so any auto-playing animation, video, audio, pop-out,
or basically anything that moves on the display and
causes distraction annoys me.
Static images and graphics are fine, and user-triggered
movement is fine, but the all-dancing, all-singing,
in-your-face sites can please take a flying leap at a rolling doughnut.
TBH, I even find distracting text annoying - Stack Overflow's
"Hot Network Questions" is a good example. I'm looking
at the details of how to parse version N of format X,
and it is not at all helpful when my eye catches:
"If a dwarf barbarian wears heavy armor how fast do they move?"
(actual HNQ question, no offense intended to the querent, dwarves, barbarians, etc.)
Prompts for newsletter, login (ala glass door), notifications, etc
Banking sites that still use verification questions
Landing pages that don't take you to the actual content (such as if you type drive.google.com into the url bar when you're logged in to Google and have been going to the same site for a while)
Forcing the mobile version when browsing on a cell phone. I may be in the minority here, but I prefer having the full site available. If I wanted the mobile version by default I would just use an app.
Popover prompts (this catches a lot), autoplay, scroll-jacking, ads, cookie notification, geo-blocked, paywalled, pop-ups, middle-click for open new tap does something else or does not work because it's no real link
- When companies put fake graphics on their websites. E.g. the typical small startup who puts corporate/big business graphics in their main web site, rather than real pictures of themselves/their office. Pathetic.
- Asking for registration/login, just to get spammed later with annoying newsletter bullshit.
Static images and graphics are fine, and user-triggered movement is fine, but the all-dancing, all-singing, in-your-face sites can please take a flying leap at a rolling doughnut.
TBH, I even find distracting text annoying - Stack Overflow's "Hot Network Questions" is a good example. I'm looking at the details of how to parse version N of format X, and it is not at all helpful when my eye catches: "If a dwarf barbarian wears heavy armor how fast do they move?" (actual HNQ question, no offense intended to the querent, dwarves, barbarians, etc.)