Dark background rocks. It saves eyes and the readability is much better for me.

Having search button down the template is pretty stupid , but fortunately I haven’t seen much sites with this “feature”.

[...] mentioned in my design decisions series, I believe it should be the reader, and not the blogger, who decides which content is [...]

[...] article is a combination of two articles I wrote over at the Reader Appreciation Project regarding annoying design decisions, so a lot of the annoyances mentioned here are directly from reader [...]

[...] Over on Devlounge there is an excellent list of 15 design decisions that annoy readers. The article is written by Ronald Huereca and is based on informal feedback received at his personal blog the Reader Appreciation Project. [...]

[...] Snap Preview Pop-ups MT says, The Snap preview popup is one of those ideas that sounds good, but is very annoying in practice. I’d rather a small option to see the preview popped up. Read the full comment. [...]

[...] recently launching the RA Project re-design, I laid out the design decisions that annoy readers. Due to the awesome feedback, I am going to lay out several more design decisions that annoy [...]

Too-small fonts.

I realize this is somewhat subjective, but if one’s font size makes post text look like “fine print” compared to “most” websites – it’s too small.

Also I’m not a fan of forced horizontal scrolling.

Thanks for asking.

And thumbs-up from me on the new design in place here; nicely done.

Rob O.,

I do hate new windows, but sometimes they are necessary. However, using target=”_blank” can potentially cause accessibility problems. My technique is to use JavaScript to open new windows. That way, if someone were to have JavaScript disabled, the window would open normally. If JavaScript were enabled, a new window would appear. Accessibility problems would be minimized.

Here is a link regarding using unobtrusive JavaScript to open pop-up windows.

I know there’s been a great deal of pro/con discussion on the use of links that open in a new browser window. I still do use the TARGET=”_BLANK” on outbound links, but have made a concerted effort to make sure that EVERY link has a TITLE tag and those which will open a in a new window indicate as much. Many of my readers are older, less-experienced web users, so they aren’t versed on forcing links to open in new tabs or such. And my GA stats indicate that a good percentage of my visitors are not using a tab-enabled browser yet. So, I’m still trying to cater to the majority…

On a related note though, I really dislike Snap and other automatic pop-outs!

I’m also not crazy about dark backgrounds, but I’ll concede that there are some sites where this works well.

Thanks for elaborating MT. Thanks your and all of the reader feedback on this post, a part 2 is definitely on the queue.

I’m a big fan of reader choice. In the case of page views, some bloggers limit their feeds to just an excerpt to increase their page views. In your case, some bloggers are pushing you to their feed reader. I, too, have experienced what you have when you go to a blog and they say, “Hey noob, subscribe to my feed.” It’s even more painful, as you point out, when you are already subscribed and perhaps want to leave a comment on a post.

Thanks for the link to the code, Ronald. Yay! I’ll see if I can’t get it working this week.

As for examples of the subscription-nags… I keep running across blogs with big outlined boxes at the top of posts, noting that I look new, and asking me to subscribe. They just annoy me — especially since often I’m already subscribed. (I think this is due to a cookie/ip checking plugin/script, intended to show only to new readers — but I’ve got a dynamic IP, and I use Firefox (which frequently updates and resets) so I’m often getting messages intended for first time users)

Then same post may also have a “Liked this article? Why not subscribe?” notice at the bottom. And then there are a wealth of “subscribe for X benefit” programs, too…. which make links/offers/products only available in the feed.

It seems like some bloggers have become so focused on the feed that they forget some of us prefer to read on their actual blog. Just because I’m *on* the blog itself doesn’t mean I haven’t subscribed. It actually means I’m a more loyal reader, and more likely to see any ads and click links etc. I don’t often read the feed…. I just skim titles. If subscribers are offered an extra goody, and it isn’t noted on the blog, I won’t see it.

It’s interesting to watch the changes as the trends and focus changes. The current stress on subscribers over pageviews just boggles my mind. I don’t get it!

[...] I go to the Reader Appreciation Project, I don't even know where to start reading. I can easily get lost for an hour. I commented on [...]

Andrew,

I can definitely see where you’re coming from with regards to search. I personally find it annoying when people tell me, “Oh, too much scrolling” or “the background is too dark.”

I do feel that a search box should be very visible and should be positioned in a way that any other form input cannot be confused with it.

Thanks for your input.

I agree with most of those points Ronald, but not all.

In terms of trackbacks I think it depends on popularity. I have trackbacks and comments together on my blog, but I get so few of them it doesn’t get in the way. Not to me anyway. Now if my blog was quite popular and I got a lot of trackbacks then I agree that would really get in the way of the conversation.

The other point I disagree with is that having search at the top of the page is a given. I think it is a convention born out of linear thinking, i.e. lots of people will no doubt say that it must be at the top, just like people say that users don’t scroll, that navigation works better on the left hand side, and important content must be above the fold. I think it is more complex than that and that it requires deeper thought.

I agree with the rest though for sure. Snap previews, in-text advertising, and those flash adverts that are all designed to interrupt you and prevent you getting to the content properly actual work against the company. If a company that is willing to shove their product in my face that way then they must have a significant amount of contempt for the customer, or at best, think their product is so poor that no one would take notice any other way.

Thanks many for the tips. I can really see the importance of separating TBs from Comments.

I prefer dark backgrounds but steer away from using them on my own blog due to most people preferring light ones. Cowardly, yes. I really like the new one. I find dark sites much easier on the eye.

Snoskred
http://www.snoskred.org/

[...] I find it extremely frustrating when there is no time stamp on an article. It’s a design decision that annoys me. I like to know when something was written. Today, yesterday, last week, last month? Heck, two [...]

Vivien (inspirationbit),

Target audience indeed plays a big factor. I suppose there is a good way to go about doing pop-ups by having them done via JavaScript instead of hard-coding them in (for accessibility purposes).

I definitely agree about the dynamically flowing ads. Urgh! JavaScript and Flash used together for purposes of ads is not a good combination

Lately I stumble more and more upon websites with the dynamically flowing ads, that slide right on top of the article and stay there until you click on an obscure “close” button. That annoys a heck out of me.

Actually, I’m not totally against popup windows if the content there is short, or they contain an image. You would be surprised how many people don’t know how to open a link in a new tab or browser window, then they get lost and can’t find their way back to the original site. Bear in mind that it relates more to regular websites, not so much to blogs. So sometimes it’s actually a good idea to have popups when clicking on links (I hate automatic popups), it all depends on your site’s target audience.

RT,

Good point about the ads. I actually stopped reading TechCrunch because of all the ads and also because it wasn’t really work safe (long story).