Snark: 10 Most Annoying Programs on the Internet

this is brilliant. The Ten Most Annoying Programs (click on Next Image to start the ‘reviews’) on the Internet. So Snarky. So True. But is anyone listening? Especially Adobe – all your products come under that heading, in my book.

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Flash
There’s nothing wrong with Flash, provided you don’t use it to construct web sites where people want to find information, navigate easily or do anything beyond passively consume exactly what you choose to give them in exactly the way you’ve decided. There’s also nothing wrong with using it for a splendid splash screen replete with movies, sound and animation — if you don’t mind frustrating, annoying and possibly even driving away people who might, just might, have something better to do.

In fact, Flash-based web sites are quite possibly one of the most useful pieces of network technology around. Like heroin or microlights, they ensure that those who think it’s a good idea aren’t around to annoy us for too long.

I have a life long hatred of Flash for anything other than embedding user generated content. As does Dr Jakob Nielsen (usability guy), by the sounds of it (BBC article) .

The annual report into web habits by usability guru Jakob Nielsen shows people are becoming much less patient when they go online.

Instead of dawdling on websites many users want simply to reach a site quickly, complete a task and leave.

Most ignore efforts to make them linger and are suspicious of promotions designed to hold their attention.

Hallelujah. Even if the thing we want to do online is interactive with our peers, shoving videos and swirling flash thingummies is annoying after the first time. Or even before… And yes I include Video Advertising – what a lot of rubbish that its the future of revenue generation in social networks online!

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Yahoo
And talking of Yahoo. Please stop. Please stop trying to take over my email, my search engine, my home page. Please stop ‘updating’ your IM client to include more emoticons, animations, noises and whatnot — or at least have the good grace to produce a grown-ups’ edition I can use at work without feeling like I should still be reading Smash Hits. And yes, when I ask to exit the software, that’s because I really want to, not because I’m having a crisis of doubt.

And there is absolutely no point in a toolbar that just replicates all the options on your web site’s front page. Not unless you want to come across as the sort of shrill, desperate, needy software company that makes big noises about user relationships but in fact knows less about its users than the Queen does about shopping in Lidl.

I could go on and on, but why post the whole ten when you can read them at TechRepublic? I like that they took the time and energy to give the screenshots. I became aware that I would unconsciously give a shudder of distaste when I saw those images appear in front of me. True.