Worst Web Sites 2007

I love irony and I find a great deal of irony in the fact that Sites #5 through #1 on this list are actually worse than anything on the Worst Web Sites of 2007 list.

As I mentioned, 2007 was a banner year for MMN. For those of you who aren't familiar with the term, a little backstory is in order.

What is Mystery Meat Navigation?

Wikipedia defines MMN as follows:

Mystery Meat Navigation (also abbreviated MMN) is a term coined and popularized by author, web designer, and usability analyst Vincent Flanders to describe user interfaces (especially in websites) in which it is inordinately difficult for users to discern the destinations of navigational hyperlinks — or, in severe cases, even to determine where the hyperlinks are. The typical form of MMN is represented by menus composed of unrevealing icons that are replaced with explicative text only when the mouse cursor hovers over them.

Flanders adopted the epithet mystery meat because, like the unidentifiable processed meat products historically served in many American public school cafeterias, MMN is unfathomable to the casual observer.

The following sites are the worst of the worst web site navigation that appeared on Web Pages That Suck during 2007.

#10 Dept. of Energy — Go to Dept. of Energy

It has a great URL, but I don't have the slightest idea of what it is or what it does. I'm assuming it's a trendy clothing store or some other kind of trendy business that doesn't care about solving their visitors' problems. When you try to visit the site now, you get a "Forbidden" message. Thank goodness for Archive.org. Read the commentary.

#9 Microsoft Visual Studio 400 Differences — Go to Microsoft Visual Studio

After visiting this site, someone wisely stated, "This is what happens when a marketing department is allowed complete control over a web page. All flash, literally in this case, and no substance. I work in a marketing department and all of our web sites would look like this if our design/development team didn't rein them in." Read the commentary.

#8 Bow-Wow Books — Go to Bow-WowBooks

This is just terrible. There is cute and then there is "too cute for your own good." The version for children is beyond terrible because nothing is there. With the adult section, which you can't really identify as such, there's at least a couple of pages of explanatory text.

The most important page is the one I clicked last. Their dog should bite them on the ankle. Read the commentary.

#7 jones, partners: architecture — Go to jones, partners

As I've often said, "If architects built buildings the way they build their web sites, then the first woodpecker to come along would destroy civilization."

To say the jones, partners web site is a piece of crap is an insult to crap and, dammit, capitalize your name. Only e.e. cummings gets to use lowercase. Read the commentary.

#6 Leo Burnett Canada — Go to Leo Burnett Canada

Here's a site that made the Daily Sucker back on September 23, 2005, but somehow didn't end up on Worst Web Design Techniques Featured on Web Pages That Suck in 2005. I made it a Daily Sucker in 2007 (yes, it's that bad) so the site gets its proper credit. Read the commentary.

#5 Zaha-Hadid Architects — Go to Zaha-Hadid Architects

It's nice to see a woman win the "Nobel Prize" for architecture and it's nice to see that a female architect is just as stupid and dense about her web site as men.

Another wise person stated, "Do you think the architects are having a contest to see how many of them can make Web Pages That Suck? Maybe we should see if we can find an architectural firm who doesn't have a sucky web page. Read the commentary.

#4 Adobe Creative Mind — Go to Adobe Creative Mind

Just because you're the People's Voice Winner in the category of BEST USE OF ANIMATION OR MOTION GRAPHICS at the 2007 Webbys doesn't mean you aren't the leading contender for Worst Web Site of 2007 at Web Pages That Suck.

This site was the leading contender for the worst navigation site for the longest time. But one of my favorite quotes is, "It can always get worse." Read the commentary.

#3 Zune Journey — Go to Zune Journey

One person who commented on the site brought up an interesting problem: "How many computers today have the latest version of Flash? I am not allowed to install software at work."

The Zune site is Crap on a Plate — “purty” but it’s still crap. Yes, I know, it should be forgiven because it’s not trying to make money (if you don’t believe me, ask Microsoft how much profit they’ve made on Zune), but c’mon. I never want to see another “Click and Hold” message as long as I live. Read the commentary.

#2 Etsy.com (select by color) — Go to Etsy.com

Ignorance is bliss because the downside of knowledge is pain. This site is very painful.

As someone commented: "Maybe I'm dumb or old (33 is old? dunno) or both but I have NO idea how to use this site... and when I click on things, what am I doing with them? where do they go when I "throw" them? The site made me feel like it was someone's inside joke and I clearly wasn't "in" on it. Sucky suckage of sucking suckiness." Read the commentary.

#1 snarg — Go to snarg

Comment #1: This is what web design under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs looks like.

Comment 2: That's it! The aliens have landed! If you click the "squeee" and then the green balls eventually you'll get two email addresses, and a message at the bottom with words to the effect: "Hello Crazy" "who are you?""from Liek Germany 9 27 07" "hello Beautiful"

Green undecipherable text on green background. It has GOT to be aliens. Maybe Martians with the green text and all! Keep clicking the green balls... Read the commentary.