from Hacker News

Ask HN: What elements of websites annoy you the most?

by __NSL__ on 12/28/18, 1:34 PM with 19 comments

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.

  • by dmckeon on 12/28/18, 9:35 PM

    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.)

  • by omosubi on 12/29/18, 4:38 AM

    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)

    Lots of Tracking

  • by jamieweb on 12/29/18, 1:44 AM

    - Blank, white page when JavaScript is disabled

    - Basic functionality broken when JavaScript is disabled

    - Unnecessary use of iFrames and other subdocument elements

    - Loading megabytes of libraries and scripts for a basic menu animation that could be done with CSS3 or plain JS

    - Taking me off-domain to log in - the logged in area should be dashboard.example.tld, not exampledashboard.tld (mainly banking sites do this)

    - Requiring logging in after visiting an email address verification link

    - Sending email verification links, I would really prefer verification codes that don't require visiting a link

    - HTTPS mixed content errors

    - Messy HTTP response headers, such as invalid values, duplicate headers, or default values for everything

    - No easy way to find a contact method for the security team, such as the RFC2142 security@ email address, or security.txt

  • by 15DCFA8F on 12/28/18, 8:52 PM

    - Nags to install apps on mobile (ex: opening reddit on mobile)

    - Videos autoplaying on some news sites

    - Cookie prompts

    - And the worst: overlays that appear on scrolling

  • by dresstotheleft on 12/28/18, 8:30 PM

    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.

  • by _threads on 12/28/18, 9:29 PM

    Everything that is not the content I came for

  • by davewasthere on 12/28/18, 11:48 PM

    Splash dialogs asking me for my email address, or to sign up on a site where I've just come to read one article.

    Having to dismiss something is an utter pain.

  • by JoshCalbet on 12/29/18, 3:32 AM

    Any kind of float trying to prevent the content to be fully displayed on the screen. Any distraction, ad, even recommendations.

  • by cimmanom on 12/29/18, 3:04 AM

    Sticky headers. Even worse on small phone screens.

  • by vanattab on 12/28/18, 9:35 PM

    Asking me to install the app on every page after I have said no. I deliberately avoid reddit links on my phone now.

  • by _cvuy on 12/29/18, 5:39 AM

    Those chatbot/assistant pop-ups. 10x worse when they make that 'pop' sound.

  • by Spooky23 on 12/29/18, 3:43 AM

    Asking for browser notifications.

    Missing functions in the mobile site.

    Too much white space. (Ie new reddit)

  • by Raphmedia on 12/28/18, 8:37 PM

    PWAs. If I wanted an app, I would be on the store and not in the browser.

  • by zhte415 on 12/29/18, 2:26 PM

    Anything that is not the content.

  • by anotheryou on 12/29/18, 11:33 PM

    In order of annoyance:

    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

  • by throwaway89586 on 12/28/18, 11:50 PM

    - 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.

    - Everything else others said already.

  • by InGodsName on 12/28/18, 10:42 PM

    1. Quora paywall

    2. Reddit install app nag

    3. Paywalls on media/news sites