Survey or poll on Internet dislikes

[arbpen]

I am getting ready to make a new interface for the company's web site,
<http://atlas.nextblock.com/files/>. It's a mess, markup and server
side. I know that, hence, getting ready to make a new template.

My boss likes pop-ups because, for her, it's simple to click the little
x and you're back on the page you were on - no back button broken. My
boss also likes animated ads. In making the new template, I want to
keep away from that.

The reason I am posting is because I would like to give my boss some
kind of hard proof that people really don't like pop-ups, hard numbers
from a survey or poll. My saying "but the are x-trillion pop-up blocker
programs" does not work. Please understand, I am not asking this group
to post likes and dislikes - I need opinions from Joe Average Internet
User. Short of setting up a focus group, does anyone have links to
such information?

Sorry to be posting from Google Groups, but I'm at work and have no
nntp access.

TIA

 

[Jose]

My boss likes pop-ups because

Does she know that she can get a popup any time she wants by doing a
trick-click? (shift-click for IE, Ctrl-click for Netscape, etc)

My boss also likes animated ads. [...] I would like to give
my boss some kind of hard proof that people really don't like pop-ups

Put animated ads in all your Emails to her.

Alas, I have no links to focus group results, but you can probably
generate your own by asking around the office.

Jose

 

[Disco Octopus]

I am getting ready to make a new interface for the company's web site,
<http://atlas.nextblock.com/files/>. It's a mess, markup and server
side. I know that, hence, getting ready to make a new template.

My boss likes pop-ups because, for her, it's simple to click the little
x and you're back on the page you were on - no back button broken. My
boss also likes animated ads. In making the new template, I want to
keep away from that.

The reason I am posting is because I would like to give my boss some
kind of hard proof that people really don't like pop-ups, hard numbers
from a survey or poll. My saying "but the are x-trillion pop-up blocker
programs" does not work. Please understand, I am not asking this group
to post likes and dislikes - I need opinions from Joe Average Internet
User. Short of setting up a focus group, does anyone have links to
such information?

Sorry to be posting from Google Groups, but I'm at work and have no
nntp access.

TIA

I dont know of any actual surveys of this type of thing, but you could
probably work towards the simple fact that there *are* popup blockers...
this would indicate that there is a market out there for popup blockers,
and therefore there are users out there that have specifically requests
*not* to have popups. You could pose that same argument regarding the
animated ads, as there are browser options that inhibit animations on
animated gifs ... not sure about flash ads though.

 

[Toby Inkster]

The reason I am posting is because I would like to give my boss some
kind of hard proof that people really don't like pop-ups, hard numbers
from a survey or poll. My saying "but the are x-trillion pop-up blocker
programs" does not work.

When she's away from her desk, install a pop-up blocker and switch it to
its most agressive setting.

 

[Alan J. Flavell]

I dont know of any actual surveys of this type of thing,

You could try
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/designmistakes.html

I'd quote specifically:

* In particular, don't open pages in new windows

and

* Pop-ups are a mistake in their own right.

See also his earlier page on the same general theme
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20021223.html

but you could
probably work towards the simple fact that there *are* popup blockers...
this would indicate that there is a market out there for popup blockers,
and therefore there are users out there that have specifically requests
*not* to have popups. You could pose that same argument regarding the
animated ads, as there are browser options that inhibit animations on
animated gifs ... not sure about flash ads though.

FlashBlock (moz/firefox extension). Works for me ;-)

See also the cited designmistakes.

There are times when one would *like* to pay attention to an animated
presentation, voluntarily and at one's own convenience. But when it's
fed-in unsolicited, it's nothing better than a distracting nuisance,
preventing the user from concentrating on the information that they
are looking for (and without which, they're unlikely to buy the
product...). Strange how many companies seem determined to shoot
themselves in the foot in this way (and kind-of preverse, really, that
we users go to such trouble to save them from themselves, instead of
just leaving their site and resolving never to return.)

regards

 

[Neredbojias]

To further the education of mankind, "Alan J. Flavell"

There are times when one would *like* to pay attention to an animated
presentation, voluntarily and at one's own convenience. But when it's
fed-in unsolicited, it's nothing better than a distracting nuisance,
preventing the user from concentrating on the information that they
are looking for (and without which, they're unlikely to buy the
product...). Strange how many companies seem determined to shoot
themselves in the foot in this way (and kind-of preverse, really, that
we users go to such trouble to save them from themselves, instead of
just leaving their site and resolving never to return.)

I was at some movie image/poster site just last night (via Google.) Stuff
flashing and blinking and moving all over the place... Not only did this
make me _anxious_ to leave, but downloading the junk also greatly inhibited
the downloading of the content, which made me want to leave even more. I
guess I lasted about 30 seconds - maybe.

 

[Neredbojias]

To further the education of mankind, Toby Inkster <usenet200604
@tobyinkster.co.uk> vouchsafed:

When she's away from her desk, install a pop-up blocker and switch it to
its most agressive setting.

Better yet, conceal an electric cattle prod in her seat cushion and connect
it to a port activated by js popups.

 

[Adrienne Boswell]

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed Neredbojias

To further the education of mankind, Toby Inkster <usenet200604
@tobyinkster.co.uk> vouchsafed:


Better yet, conceal an electric cattle prod in her seat cushion and
connect it to a port activated by js popups.

I'm not going to write what I'm tempted to write, Clark, suffice to say
that I'm laughing with you, not at you.

What's even scarier is I did a little survey with the interns who are
working for us, and they were saying how much they like the popups. They
are in their teens, so anything that moves is kewl.

 

[Travis Newbury]

I am getting ready to make a new interface...
...The reason I am posting is because I would like to give my boss some
kind of hard proof that people really don't like pop-ups, hard numbers
from a survey or poll.

Interesting, not a singe bit of hard proof... Just 3 personal
anecdotes, and an embarrassingly bland website...

Personally, I find a popup calendar, or popup form to be very
convenient. That is because I am requesting them. I find the popup
ads on porn sites very annoying because I did not request them. (And
you have the added annoyance of dealing with them with a single hand.)

Just an opinion based on talking to those around me, but I do not
believe people find popups to be bad. I think they find "unrequested"
popups bad. There is a HUGE difference.

 

[Neredbojias]

I'm not going to write what I'm tempted to write, Clark, suffice to
say that I'm laughing with you, not at you.


What's even scarier is I did a little survey with the interns who are
working for us, and they were saying how much they like the popups.
They are in their teens, so anything that moves is kewl.

I remember starting out the same way, and I was well past my teens. But
after using (-or trying to) my pages and others having the "bells and
whistles" that just seemed so great at first, I learned they got old real
quick. The best page is one which looks attractive but primarily presents
the content in as facile a manner as possible. Bells and whistles not only
detract from this but make such elegance impossible.

 

[JDS]

My boss likes pop-ups because, for her, it's simple to click the little
x and you're back on the page you were on - no back button broken. My
boss also likes animated ads. In making the new template, I want to
keep away from that.

What are the popups being used for?

If they are part of an interface for a web application, that is one thing.
If they just contain unrequested ads and spam, that is quite another.

 

[Jose]

Just an opinion based on talking to those around me, but I do not

believe people find popups to be bad. I think they find "unrequested"
popups bad. There is a HUGE difference.

Yes, that is the crux of it. However, since you can trick-click to make
any link open in a new window, and it's usually hard to tell whether a
regular click will generate a popup or replace the existing window, the
use of popups makes the user experience less predictable. That is a Bad
Thing.

I too find some popups to be convenient, but I find myself wondering, as
I over expectantly over a link, whether I will get a well designed
little calendar popup, a new browser window with all the bells, a reuse
of the existing window (meaning I have to go back), or some other web trick.

I recently got burned by one on a help desk. Firstly, they all seem to
use postage stamp sized chat boxes inside an acre of window, and then
the support person sends a link, which when clicked could use the acre
of window above the chat area, a popup, a new window, a download, or any
number of things, and somehow these links disable trick-clicking. So I
got one which was a popup without any controls, menus, or handles (so no
back button). I forgot why but the next problem was that the chat
window was closed (it might have been my mistake) but since the popup
was open, the browser was still active. However I couldn't go back or
forward, and I couldn't reconnect with the chat person, and to get back
in the tech support queue was another half hour.

Have that happen a few times and you will see the evil of uncoontrolled
popups. And all popups are uncontrolled unless commanded by a trick-click.

Jose

 

[Adrienne Boswell]

What are the popups being used for?

If they are part of an interface for a web application, that is one
thing. If they just contain unrequested ads and spam, that is quite
another.

http://atlas.nextblock.com is a directory of stores, restarants and
services. The store descriptions open in little pop-up windows, and a
lot of hrefs use the target attribute, or BASE element. External links
always open in new windows.

I agree with what others have said about calendar widgets, and I would
not want to get rid of those. It's the ones that are unnecessary, the
external links, etc, that drive me nuts.

Maybe this is because I use mouse gestures, and therefore rarely look up
to see if the back button in available. It just gesture until I realize
something is wrong, look up, and realize I've been gesturing for no
reason.

 

[Gernot Frisch]

What are the popups being used for?

If they are part of an interface for a web application, that is one
thing.
If they just contain unrequested ads and spam, that is quite
another.

a popup with ads and spam? A female boss? What site might that be?

 

[arbpen]

Gernot Frisch wote:

a popup with ads and spam? A female boss? What site might that be?

There are ads (small but they move), and there is no spam. Yes, a
female boss, one of the most empowered, smart, successful women I know.
The site is <http://atlas.nextblock.com/files/>. I am in the process
of designing a new interface (CSS, no tables,HTML Strict), to get rid
of the bloat that makes the current site soooo slooooww to load.

 

[Brian Cryer]

I am getting ready to make a new interface for the company's web site,
<http://atlas.nextblock.com/files/>. It's a mess, markup and server
side. I know that, hence, getting ready to make a new template.

My boss likes pop-ups because, for her, it's simple to click the little
x and you're back on the page you were on - no back button broken. My
boss also likes animated ads. In making the new template, I want to
keep away from that.

The reason I am posting is because I would like to give my boss some
kind of hard proof that people really don't like pop-ups, hard numbers
from a survey or poll. My saying "but the are x-trillion pop-up blocker
programs" does not work. Please understand, I am not asking this group
to post likes and dislikes - I need opinions from Joe Average Internet
User. Short of setting up a focus group, does anyone have links to
such information?

If you need your website to be accessible (alka W3C website Accessibility)
then pop-ups are a definite no-no:

http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT-TECHS/, checkpoint 10.1 "Until user
agents allow users to turn off spawned windows, do not cause pop-ups or
other windows to appear and do not change the current window without
informing the user. [Priority 2] "

Hope it helps.

 

[dorayme]

Better yet, conceal an electric cattle prod in her seat cushion and connect
it to a port activated by js popups.

There you go again, that preoccupation with the lower half...
Don't worry now, won't be long before you are cured. Officer
White is soon to come. He has been busy and, naturally enough,
has had to deal with the worse cases first.

 

[dorayme]

What's even scarier is I did a little survey with the interns who are
working for us, and they were saying how much they like the popups. They
are in their teens, so anything that moves is kewl.

Indeed. But not just teenagers.

 

[dorayme]

Personally, I find a popup calendar, or popup form to be very
convenient. That is because I am requesting them. I find the popup
ads on porn sites very annoying because I did not request them.

There is a HUGE difference...

I agree a lot. I have spent the better part of a day ridding a
section of a website of some ("requested") js pop ups in favour
of normal links. Advantages, no js, easier to maintain in future
(they are trickier beasts in the file system and require extra
code and fiddlesome ' and " and ... you know...). But I am now
thinking that it does not look or feel as nice as it did! The
information was extra stuff, visual details of individual
products, also the pop up window was a cleaner and simpler "fit"
and helped the viewers not to lose their place... I might forget
about it now and throw away half a day's work and restore the old
pop ups. Damn! Decisions, decisions...

 

[Neredbojias]

To further the education of mankind, dorayme

There you go again, that preoccupation with the lower half...
Don't worry now, won't be long before you are cured. Officer
White is soon to come. He has been busy and, naturally enough,
has had to deal with the worse cases first.

Well, it's a relief to know I'm not among the worst, anyway. Um, actually,
it's sort of a disappointment, too, though. I always try to excel, and
attaining to the best of the worst would at least be an achievement of some
kind.