Web Pages That Suck -- Examples of Bad Web Design

These are the Daily Suckers -- Examples of Bad Web Design -- from WebPagesThatSuck.com. I couldn't predict every new sucky design technique that would come along when I wrote the book because there's always a new way to do something bad. This page will keep you up-to-date. Live examples.

My definition of "daily" is "whenever I'm in the mood."


The Daily Suckers for Wednesday, November 26, 2003

America's Web Site presents YAITS.

YAITS stands for "Yet Another Industry That Sucks." I find it fascinating that the web sites for certain industries / businesses contain a high percentage that are really awful. Today's YAITS is Homeowners Associations.

I suspect the suckiness is due, in large part, to the volunteer aspect of an association. Nevertheless, there are some decent looking (at least on the surface) association sites -- like Alden Ridge or Carmel Valley.

There are Spawn of Satan association sites. These sites use Microsoft Themes -- the most horrible plague on our planet -- like WildWind. Making it worse is the alleged link to a new site -- that doesn't work. Another one is in Forest Ridge, in Round Rock, Texas (home of Dell) and near Leander, Texas (where I lived for five years).

There are just plain ugly association sites. Woodfield Homeowners and Forest Creek come to mind.

Homeowners Associations -- YAITS.

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Wednesday, November 26, 2003

The Daily Sucker Backgrounder

The Daily Sucker contains material that should be considered updates to the book, "Web Pages That Suck." and Son of Web Pages That Suck. I can't see the future -- if I could, I'd be picking lottery numbers and stocks. The Daily Sucker features new sucky design techniques not in existence when the book was written. Since Web designers are stubborn, I also include old sucky techniques featured in the book. Maybe if they see a bad technique featured enough they'll stop using it.

The suckers are based on user input. You see a site that you think sucks and then e-mail the URL to me. No personal pages (personal pages are supposed to reflect the individual's personality, artistic freedom, and lack of taste -- a commercial site is about making money) or Web site designers (it would look like a conflict of interest). If I think there's some merit to your selection, I post it along with some commentary -- and quality commentary helps determine whether I use the suggestion. If you know of a site that qualifies, let me know.

The sucky example will usually be available for only 24 hours (or thereabouts -- weekends and egregious examples are exceptions) -- never to be seen again. Well, probably. Somebody could always suggest them again -- and they do.

E-mail Vincent