Sometimes I’ll check rnningfool.com to see if it gets updated…
My office.
When I’m stuck for ideas I have about 50 or so drafts that at one point in time I thought they were good ideas for posts. It’s like going to the well and there being some water at the bottom but it’s pretty muddy and you’re not sure if it’s ok to drink or not. This is one of those posts because the ideas I have for other posts are too far out and will require more time.
With that incredible lead up I’m sure you’re on your hands and knees (that’s not the right expression) with excitement for what comes next. If you were Sherlock Holmes, you could guess that the title could be a clue to what I’m going to express disdain for. I hate clicking links that lead to videos or slideshows.
Videos – I hate commitment. It’s why I don’t return text messages on time, respond to Facebook invites, or have ever had a serious girlfriend. The idea of clicking on a link that sends me to a video that is 3 minutes long basically blows up my brain. If I go to YouTube and find a video myself I have no problem with that because I’m mentally prepared to watch the video because I’ve blocked that time for that activity. However, when I’m clicking around, I don’t want to be tied down to a clip. I’m like a bald eagle that was just released into nature. I need to be free. Please use text.
Slideshows – The bane of the internet. The slideshow is stupidity in web browser form. Most slideshows are “51 Pornstars Who Aren’t Wearing Makeup,” or “Can you believe these people were once fat!” Then they give you one big picture with a snippet of text. What’s worse is that they make you click 3 times for each sentence before moving on to the next part of the list. It would be one thing if the click was instantaneous but it’s not. There is a pause every single time you click. I can’t even remember the last time I deemed information valuable through a slideshow. If a slideshow is your preferred method of getting information, it’s highly likely you’re a complete moron.
Flash sites are the worst too. I won’t even look at an artists work if the site is in flash, because it means I need to set aside the rest of my day.
Tool reviews are notorious for the valueless slideshow. I have seen zero tool reviews/comparisions that actually utilize a comparability chart…which would seem like the easiest, and most effective way to communicate the pros/cons of 10 tools at once.
Instead, it is always a 20 (!) image slideshow (because every slide in between needs to be an “advert” slide) or a meandering blog-esque format where by the end, I totally forget what the differences are between the tools.
Tutorials are similar…if you’re providing a visual tutorial on cutting crown molding, odds are the “Make sure the saw is plugged in ready for use” slide could probably get cut. (Yes, a pun).
Slideshows are the internet version of PowerPoint Hell.