«

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

--
Adrienne Boswell
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info
Please respond to the group so others can share

> 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
--
The price of freedom is... well... freedom.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

arbpen wrote:

> 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.

--
jog with a friend.

arbpen wrote:

> 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.

--
Toby A Inkster BSc (Hons) ARCS
Contact Me ~ http://tobyinkster.co.uk/contact

On Tue, 2 May 2006, Disco Octopus wrote:

> 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

To further the education of mankind, "Alan J. Flavell"
<> vouchsafed:

> 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
Infinity has its limits.

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

> arbpen wrote:
>
>> 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.

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

--
Neredbojias
Infinity has its limits.

Gazing into my crystal ball I observed Neredbojias
<http://www.neredbojias.com/fliam.php?cat=alt.html> writing in
news:Xns97B6D17C599A6httpwwwneredbojiasco@208.49.8 0.251:

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

--
Adrienne Boswell
Please respond to the group so others can share
http://www.cavalcade-of-coding.info

arbpen wrote:
> 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.

To further the education of mankind, Adrienne Boswell <>
vouchsafed:

>>>> 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.
>>
>> 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.

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.

--
Neredbojias
Infinity has its limits.