Ugg. New look for websites.

[cptkrf]

Anybody notice that the web is turning into a big Metro tablet? Especially news sites. Instead of a clean list of news titles, we now are presented with massive scrolling pages of pictures that give only a fraction of the info density of a standard page. Worse yet, the scrolling widgets can themselves have scrolling enabled, so to move down a page is like playing a game of Space Invaders - you have to dodge from side to side to make it through the mass of widgets.

And, of course, all the while trying to find the auto-playing HTML5 video that blaring from somewhere on the page.

IMHO, sad.

 

[pigoo3]

Yes...navigating many websites is starting to be a pain.

- Widgets
- popups
- auto playing videos
- one-line teasers to get you to click on something to get the rest of the story.
- too many "video" stories (which make you watch a commercial vodeo for something first) instead of text

* Nick

 

[chas_m]

Might be time for you to explore an RSS reader, or the "reader" view in Safari (magnificent) -- or just start visiting brainer websites (this is why I like Ars Technica over, say, The Verge).

 

[cptkrf]

Might be time for you to explore an RSS reader, or the "reader" view in Safari (magnificent) -- or just start visiting brainer websites (this is why I like Ars Technica over, say, The Verge).

Hold on. That is like advising for a person to find another dry tree to take cover under when the current one begins to drip

Yep. I have been switching, but the programmers switch right along with me. For some reason, the Metro look on the front page is all the rage now. The Reader function is good, but I don't usually have any problem in the article itself, just the bloated front page that now takes ten screens to display what used to be on the first.

Maybe I will bring up Lynx again. It can't display images and HTML5 in any form. Problem is, I can't remember where my old floppy drive is.

 

[Exodist]

Not fond of Metro at all.. But then again I am one of the fools that thinks Vista was the best looking version of windows or any other OS ever. Now I didnt say it ran worth a crap.. Just looked great!

Now to see Metro spilling into the web.. Lets all pray this is a quick fad...

 

[CarpathiaMan]

I can kind of see the OP's original point ... I've noticed some of that frustrating me at times as well. Although, I like how more "rich" websites are generally getting ... I mean, overall they seem to be a lot prettier than they were in the old days ... but then again, we have to make sure we continue to have the bandwidth to sustain that.

And I don't mind "flat" and "clean," to an extent. Let's just be reasonable and draw the line somewhere, because it seems like it can in fact actually spill over into "boring" if you're not careful.

 

[cradom]

What I hate are those "menu bars" at the top of the screen which you don't even have to click.
Just a mouse-over and you have an almost full screen "menu" pop down, covering up any content on the page.
And while I'm on the subject...can we get the Quick Links menu here to be clickable instead of mouse-over? Like all the other links?

 

[chscag]

And while I'm on the subject...can we get the Quick Links menu here to be clickable instead of mouse-over? Like all the other links?

That's why we call it "Quick Links".

 

[cradom]

Guess not huh?

 

[bobtomay]

Craig, Such a request to iNet wouldn't even elicit a response from them for at least 6-12 months (if then) and then they would tell you, in the spring... but, fail to mention which spring.

 

[vansmith]

or just start visiting brainer websites (this is why I like Ars Technica over, say, The Verge).

Ever since The Verge did a review of the Nexus 4 in which they said that the lack of LTE support would only matter to Americans and implied that it would be of no consequence outside of the US, I've given up hope for them. For a site that purports to know something about technology, they know next to nothing about the world of technology outside of the US (this is where Ars is much better - they know that there are different contexts around the world).

What I hate are those "menu bars" at the top of the screen which you don't even have to click.
Just a mouse-over and you have an almost full screen "menu" pop down, covering up any content on the page.

Oh sweet mercy those are annoying, especially when they don't close or when they are so sensitive that just looking at them the wrong way pops them open.

And while I'm on the subject...can we get the Quick Links menu here to be clickable instead of mouse-over? Like all the other links?

Changes are done by iNET, not us. You could however hack together a solution (a new challenge for me?).

 

[cradom]

Nah, it's not THAT annoying. I just need to pay more attention to where my cursor is.

 

[cptkrf]

What I hate are those "menu bars" at the top of the screen which you don't even have to click.
Just a mouse-over and you have an almost full screen "menu" pop down, covering up any content on the page.

I had forgotten about the auto dropdown menus that cover the page that you are supposed to read. Darn. I was feeling pretty good today. Now I am POed before I even start the day's surfing.

And its your fault;D

 

[cradom]

Hee Hee

 

[vansmith]

Nah, it's not THAT annoying. I just need to pay more attention to where my cursor is.

No way, you can't just throw that out there and not expect me, Mr. Take Up Every Challenge, to let that go:



A little injected Javascript and presto, a solution.

 

[toMACsh]

Yes...navigating many websites is starting to be a pain.

- Widgets
- popups
- auto playing videos
- one-line teasers to get you to click on something to get the rest of the story.
- too many "video" stories (which make you watch a commercial vodeo for something first) instead of text

And (to me) worst of all, the internet is turning into a giant advertising vehicle instead of a repository of information. Just try to find the website of a business. Most of the "hits" you get are advertisements trying to get you to buy something.

My recent experience: I wanted to buy flowers. I tried to find the web page of a florist in the town where they were to be delivered. No luck at all. I finally gave in and ordered from Avas, a sort of internet clearinghouse for florists all across the US I presume, as it is based at least 1,000 miles from where I wanted the flowers to go. Although they had 4 days notice, they could not communicate with a local florist soon enough to get the flowers delivered on time. I am now waiting for a refund to be posted to my credit card.

Lesson learned: just find the phone number of the florist and call it.