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Top 10 Annoying Things About the Internet (+ 5 Extra)
As the CEO of a company, and someone who uses the internet every day, I thought to take the opportunity to share what I find to be “pain points” (aka annoying things) about the internet. In this article, I will acknowledge 10 things about the internet in today’s age that have become a nuisance from the perspective of an internet user and website owner. We will also discuss what we, as users and website owners, can do to overcome many of these obstacles, since just the sheer stance of being annoyed is not a suitable substitute for taking action.
My list of the 10 most annoying things about the internet is featured through a simple, but timeless scoring system – emojis. Each item in the list can earn up to three 😡 emojis. Therefore, an item with three (😡😡😡) emojis represents the ultimate annoyance.
Table of Contents
1. Accept Cookies 😡😡😡
This is the most irritating thing on the internet today and the inspiration for writing this article. Let’s give a special thanks to the EU bureaucrats for permanently destroying the user experience on the internet by requiring users to click on a ‘accept cookies’ dialog every time they enter a website. Humanity has wasted countless amounts of time on this and still does.
What Can You Do?
As for website owners, as surprising as it sounds, not all internet users live in the EU, and lucky for you, with a simple IP check, you can avoid the required cookies popup message for almost all countries (besides the United Kingdom and EU member states) and still be in full compliance with the EU data privacy regulations. Aren’t you glad to learn there are ways to bypass and block infuriating cookie popups?
2. Passwords 😡😡
We all know the struggle of forgetting our passwords. With the dozens of different accounts and logins, and time spent just having to reset our passwords is agonizing. Who would believe that humans are not very good at remembering passwords that require a minimum of eight characters, upper/lower case text, numbers, and symbols and look like Ap15!tY8Jm3? Passwords are annoying and should have been replaced with alternatives long ago.
What Can You Do?
Users can store and manage their passwords from across the web using tools like Google Password Manager or similar solutions.
Website owners can use Single Sign-On (SSO) to log in to a site quickly or, even better, use a solution like Google One-Tap to log in to different websites automatically.
3. 404 Error 😡
A 404 error occurs when a page no longer exists or is incorrectly linked. A broken link is not only annoying for users, but it compromises the integrity of a website and makes it difficult for Google to crawl and access it.
What Can You Do?
Redirecting the broken page to another one is the easiest and simplest way to fix your 404 error code. By using a 301 redirect, you can accomplish this task. In addition, you can create a custom 404 page with clear navigation options in both the header and footer, as well as links to important sections of your website.
4. CAPTCHAs 😡😡
CAPTCHAs and other “I’m not a robot” tests (but what if I am a robot??). While I’m, in fact, not a robot, making me find traffic lights and sidewalks in random pictures sure makes me feel like one.
In today’s world, CAPTCHA is practically useless for preventing the most nefarious and damaging automated attacks on businesses.
What Can You Do?
Website owners can find many alternatives to CAPTCHA that won’t baffle or frustrate users, including things like gamification and slider button options, or even a simple checkbox will do.
In today's world, CAPTCHA is practically useless for preventing the most nefarious and damaging automated attacks on businesses.
5. AutoPlay Videos with Sound 😡😡
So there you are on the internet with multiple browser tabs open when your speakers start blasting noise out of nowhere. It turns out there’s a video in one of those tabs set to autoplay, so you rush through all of those tabs at ultimate speed so you can shut it off as quickly as possible.
Despite their annoying nature, autoplay videos are here to stay, primarily because the ads generate so much revenue. However, there are still things we can do to coexist with them.
What Can You Do?
If you’re a website owner, just don’t be that person and don’t autostart videos with music on your website, okay? Thanks.
As for the everyday internet user, we suggest using an ad blocker or a browser extension that blocks auto-playing videos. These tools can help prevent websites from automatically playing videos and other unwanted content.
6. Ads 😡😡
As the CEO of Adcore Inc., I should be careful openly complaining about internet ads. However, not all ads are created equally, and some are definitely more annoying than others.
Having too many ads on the internet can be a bad thing for a few reasons. First, ads can be intrusive, especially if they are loud or automatically play video/audio, as I previously mentioned. This can make it difficult to enjoy the content on a website, and, overall, ruin the browsing experience.
Second, having too many ads on a website can slow down the website’s loading time, which can be frustrating for users trying to access the content quickly. This can also make it difficult for users with slow internet connections to access the website at all.
What Can You Do?
My advice for website owners is as follows:
- Know when too much is too much.
- Ensure your site ads are relevant to your audience and each page’s content.
- Pop-ups and pop-unders should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
My advice for users is to consider using ad-blockers, as mentioned previously. It really will save you the headache.
7. Non Mobile-Friendly Websites 😡😡
Nowadays, more than 60% of internet traffic comes from mobile devices, so one should think most websites would be mobile-friendly… well think again!
There are still too many non mobile-friendly websites, which can be detrimental for various reasons.
First, a website not optimized for mobile devices can be difficult, or even impossible, to use on smartphones and tablets, making it frustrating and inconvenient for mobile users.
Additionally, this creates a negative impression for users, making the website and its owner appear outdated and unprofessional. This can harm the website’s reputation and discourage users from using it in the future. Overall, a non mobile-friendly website can create challenges and drawbacks for users and website owners.
What Can You Do?
Use the website’s desktop version on their mobile device or a mobile browser with built-in optimization features. For example, some mobile browsers, such as Google Chrome, have features that can automatically reformat a website to make it easier to read and use on a mobile device.
As for website owners, to make their website mobile-friendly, they can take the following steps:
- Use responsive design.
- Optimize images and other media files.
- Use a mobile-friendly font and layout.
- Test the website on multiple mobile devices.
- Monitor the website’s performance on mobile devices.
8. Slow Loading Websites 😡😡😡
Slow-loading websites can be very frustrating and time-consuming for anyone. When a website takes a long time to load, it can make it difficult for people to access the information or services they need and can waste their time, discouraging people from using the website in the future.
Overall, slow websites can create challenges and drawbacks for users and owners. Therefore, website owners must ensure that their sites are fast and efficient to provide a positive user experience and protect their users’ security.
What Can You Do?
There are several things that a website owner can do to improve their site’s loading time. Here are a few potential strategies:
- Use a reliable and fast web hosting provider. The speed of a website can be affected by the quality of the web hosting service it uses.
- Optimize images and other media files. Large images and other media files can slow down a website.
- Minimize the use of large and complex scripts. Scripts, such as JavaScript and CSS, can add functionality to a website and slow it down.
- Enable browser caching. When users visit a website, their browser can store certain elements locally, such as images and scripts. This can make the website load faster on subsequent visits.
- Use a content delivery network (CDN). A CDN is a network of servers that can deliver website content to users based on their geographic location.
A good place to start is Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
9. Software Updates 😡
What is the point of approving software updates? While software updates can be beneficial in many ways, they can also have a negative impact on user experience.
- Updates can take a long time to download and install.
- Updates can cause the software to crash or malfunction.
- Updates can change the software’s user interface, which can be confusing for users who are used to the previous version.
- Updates can sometimes alter or remove features that users are used to and rely on.
Overall, it is crucial for software developers to consider the potential effects of updates on their users carefully.
What Can You Do?
There are a few things you can do to create a more seamless user experience:
- If the software has the option to update automatically, you can turn it on.
- You can disable notifications for software updates.
- You can use an older software version that does not require updates.
10. Running out of Battery😡😡😡
A phone, tablet, or laptop that runs out of battery is perhaps the scariest thing that can happen in today’s society.
Nothing is more annoying than having our phone or laptop’s battery run out while on the go. Lack of internet access cuts us off from the rest of the world, leaving us without contact, social, navigation, and entertainment. It’s not impossible to live that way, but we’d rather not!
What Can You Do?
There are several things you can do to avoid running out of batteries on your electronic devices. Here are a few potential strategies:
- Use a power bank or portable charger.
- Turn off or reduce the brightness of the device’s screen.
- Close or minimize apps that are not in use.
- Use airplane mode or turn off unnecessary features.
- Charge the device regularly.
And if you’re a website owner, we recommend taking the following steps:
- Optimize images and other media files.
- Avoid using excessive animation or other battery-intensive features.
- Minimize large and complex scripts and use power-saving modes or other battery-saving features.
5 Extra Annoying Things on the Internet
While there are more than ten things that are annoying online, these are 5 of the other annoying things that almost made it to my top 10 list.
1. Viruses, Malware and Phishing Websites
Viruses, malware, and phishing sites can have serious consequences for internet users, including financial loss, loss of data, damage to devices, and personal altercations.
In addition to the harm, they cause to individuals, viruses and phishing sites can also have broader negative impacts on the internet. They can clog up networks and slow down internet speeds and can also be used to launch large-scale cyberattacks that disrupt essential online services.
Overall, viruses and fishing sites are harmful to both individuals and the internet as a whole.
2. Payment Walls
Payment walls, or paywalls, are used by some websites and online platforms to require users to pay a fee to access certain content. While paywalls can be a way for content creators to generate revenue and support their work, they can also limit the spread of information and ideas.
Content behind a paywall is not as easily accessible or shareable as freely available content. This can hinder the free exchange of ideas and information, an important aspect of the internet. Additionally, paywalls can create a fragmented and inconsistent user experience, as different websites and platforms may have different payment models and fees.
3. Extremist Groups
Groups that promote hate, violence, discrimination, or other forms of extremist groups are harmful for many reasons. For the most obvious reason, they invite danger and cause significant harm to individuals and societies. In addition, they can fuel division and conflict and undermine efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
Regarding the internet, extremist groups can use online platforms and networks to spread their ideologies and recruit new members. This can make it easier for them to connect with like-minded individuals and amplify their message, potentially reaching a wider audience.
Furthermore, the presence of extremist groups on the internet can create a toxic and hostile environment. It can make people feel unsafe and unwelcome, discourage them from participating in online communities and activities, and they have no place on the internet or in society.
4. Adult Sites
The widespread availability of pornography on the internet creates challenges for parents and others who want to protect children from accessing age-inappropriate content. While tools and resources are available to help with this, it can be difficult to completely prevent children from encountering adult content online.
Another concern is that this kind of content can be a source of spam, malware, and other malicious content. Some websites even design adult ads to trick users into downloading viruses or giving away sensitive information.
5. Wesbite Bugs & Errors
Bugs can cause websites to malfunction or perform poorly and can cause websites to load slowly or crash, which can waste users’ time and make it difficult for them to complete tasks. This can make it difficult or impossible for users to access the information or services they need and can discourage people from using the website in the future.
Furthermore, bugs can be a security concern. Some bugs can create vulnerabilities that hackers and other cybercriminals can exploit. Overall, if you’re a website owner, you should make sure your team is aware of any issues to help prevent this from being another annoying thing on the internet.
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