Worst Web Sites 2007

The site that was suggested is so frightening to me that I believe the only way to save the site is to hire someone to undertake a complete redesign of the home page.

Contender #1 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Architecture

"If architects designed buildings they way they design web sites, then the first woodpecker that came along would destroy civilization."

What in the name of God is wrong with architects? I hate stereotypes like "White people can't dance," but it's a fact that "Architects can't design web sites." Take a look at these architectural gems if you don't believe me.

You have to love the TITLE tag — unl-arch. Yeah, I get it. You're hip. So hip you're using those horrible waterfall links. Yes. Links that fall down the screen. What makes it truly disturbing is the crosshair telescopic sight navigation. My immediate reaction was, "this is just like a telescopic sight used on a sniper's rifle." Considering the gun-related violence we've had on college campuses, I think this is totally inappropriate.

You can't get into the site without the Flash plugin. If you somehow get on a subpage through a search engine link, you won't be able to navigate without the Flash plugin.

Speaking of the subpages, they aren't as horrific as the home page. If you're a parent, the text could be too small to read. If you're a student, it's probably OK. The home page link on the subpages is at the bottom right of the page. If you click what you think is the normal home page link — the logo at the top left — you'll end up at the home page of UNL.

Since I clicked on the logo at the top and ended up on the UNL home page I looked the page over. It's very clean looking, with a nice use of white space and it looks like the navigation covers most of the major topics folks want. I also like the fact there are no Javascript menus.

The final piece of silliness on the unl-arch home page is the faux Matrix Text Effect. It looks like the architects went to this site to learn the technique and then modified it. Then again, they could have gone to a couple million places to learn this technique. They should have kept going.

Architects like to think they're Neo, but the truth is they're Agent Smith.

unl-arch

Contender #2 Havenworks.com

Submitter #1's comments: If you guys haven't already, you should spotlight this site. If you have already, sorry I missed it.

Submitter #2's comments: Words fail me for this web site, Vincent, and words will probably fail you too.

Submitter #3's comments: Hi Vincent... Yeah, you're right. I promise you I won't submit Web Design firms sites anymore ;)

As I really enjoy Web Pages That Suck, I can't help myself to look for candidates to submit.

This one was found by my husband and since it is too awful, I can't even think of a comment... Honestly, are there people out there who like the site? Anyway, I hope this is a good candidate for the Daily Sucker :)

Submitter #4's comments: Take a look at this site, but I warn you, you may go blind.

Vincent Flanders' comments: Uh...

I searched through my files and couldn't find anything that said I've used this site.
Words fail me.
This is a great candidate for the Daily Sucker. It may be a candidate for the worst web site of 2008.
I think I've gone blind.

When four different people suggest the same site at roughly the same time, you know you've got a contender for the worst web site of 2008.

Havenworks

Contender #3 Brill Publications

"What in the name of all that is sacred and holy were they thinking?"

If that banking site made the list of worst sites for 2007, this sucker is guaranteed a place in the 2008 listing. We need to stop the use of metaphoric navigation today. Is it possible that there are internet surfers who are so mentally incompetent that they need this type of navigation? Does anybody find it useful? Does anyone think it's clever? Does anyone not hit the back button?

Oh. This isn't some cutesy little company with a niche product.

Brill Publications

Contender #4 Alternative Transport Services

Submitter comments: Animated GIFs, two of the same image viewable at once, marquee tags, using colored text for emphasis and then very similar colored text for links (seems to be left justified and not centered on my widescreen monitor as well but whatever).

I suppose you can navigate from the table on the left… if you can stop being distracted by the rest of the page long enough to look at it. They also seem to have what amounts to the exact same information 3 times in plain view of one another (hint: they all are colored, enlarged, bolded “Hi Darling”s).

In fact I’m pretty sure this page has created an 8th deadly sin… though I’m not sure what to call it.

Vincent Flanders’ comments: It’s always “refreshing” to see a new type of web design mistake. I’ve seen (horizontally) repeating background images, but I’ve never seen (vertically) repeating navigation.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “darling” used so many times on a site that wasn’t about punters (an homage to my British and Australian readers).

Alternative Transport Services

Contender #5 Stupid Fun Club

Submitter comments: I can’t tell if there is even anything worthwhile on the site. The show “Modern Marvels” on History Channel was showing these guys developing all kinds of fascinating gadgets. Their group is called “Stupid Fun Club”, in Berkeley, CA.
Google provides a physical address and phone, so I may call them to ge info… ‘cuz the web site is useless!

Vincent Flanders’ comments: I really don’t know what to say, other than it looks like we have another contender for Worst Web Site of 2008. It’s a monumental waste of time.

Stupid Fun Club