Web Pages That Suck - learn good web design by looking at bad web design

Submitter comments: I was doing some research on police web sites and came across a link on Google, “The Seekonk Police Department web site sucks #27. … It turns out I used this site as an example of bad web design back in October 2000. Guess what? …”

Since I have looked at some of the sites listed on your website in the past I couldn’t help but take a peek. The Seekonk Police website is bad but I may have one for you that is even worse. Check this out from Douglas County Missouri.

P.S. Try to right click on some text.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: Interestingly, my daughter and I were watching the latest Reno 911 DVD tonight (background on the show) and it occurred to me that today’s Daily Sucker is just the type of site that this mock police department would have up and running.

Today’s sucker uses every cop cliche I’ve ever seen (including the theme from Bad Boys). The animated bullets being “fired” on the home page are not the kind of message you want to see on your local police department’s web site. This tacky technique reminded me of one of the bonus features on the DVD — Cop Psychology Inside the Minds of Reno’s Deputies.

The different officers were interviewed by a psychologist/psychiatrist and the question that was asked of everyone was “Under what circumstances do you feel deadly force is justified?” The answers are hilarious. I’ve provided a link to one of them and it’s TOTALLY NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK (or for those folks who have a sophisticated sense of humor or are easily offended).

Just as you wouldn’t want your local cops to spout the same nonsense as Lt. Dangle about deadly force, you don’t want your local police web site to use animated bullets.

Today’s sucker is how cop sites used to look like in the old days. The problem is “these are the new days” and this site proves that police brutality doesn’t always involve a billy club.

Douglas County Sheriff’s Department