I have been stumbling a lot with “blog” in the search. I have done this because I am rather new to doing a personal/work blog (although I have been telling clients to do them for years) and so it is research into how to make mine better. The bothersome part comes when I stumble to a blog that is doing something so annoying that it makes me want to vomit on my keyboard. I don’t have a very large following so I don’t expect this to reach the people I am talking about but if I can influence even one new blogger - to not do one of the following - I will see this as a personal win. So here goes:
1. Resizing my browser window:
-Why do you do this? Is it because your site design can only be seen when it’s in full screen mode? Java is fun, but seriously. There is a reason I don’t have a full size browser window… it’s because I don’t like it. I have a small screen, I’m not ashamed of this (it’s not the size it’s how you use it… right? right.)
2. Pop-Ups/Grey Outs That force me to sign up/in:
- I have only seen this on a few blog sites but as soon as it happens I hit the thumbs down and leave. I don’t read the content, I just leave. It could be great content that I would have signed up for if you didn’t force me to. Now I’ll never know and you lost me for good.
3. Top 5 - 10 - 15 - etc Lists that are exactly the same as the 20 we saw yesterday:
- I know topX lists are all the rage and can get lots of people to come…. and this actually could be one of those, I admit it…. We saw that list last week/yesterday, even if it was amazing/infotastic/new/funny then… the one you just put up isn’t. I’ll only read the first bold headline, maybe scroll to the bottom then leave. If it isn’t something new or at the very least an amazing new thought about it… stop posting them.
4. Google Ads EVERYWHERE:
- Making your site pay for itself is a good thing, in fact it’s awesome. When you put a few tasteful google ads along the side or at the bottom it’s fine… When you put Google ads EVERYWHERE (and even some kind of add that floats in front of my mouse until I figure out how to close it) it sucks. It breaks up your content with huge boxes and slows my loading down. Plus the ads don’t look good and if I don’t like the feel of your site I’ll stop reading and go elsewhere. Making money with your blog is cool… just don’t be annoying about it.
/end rant.
Responses to “Top 4 ways to piss me off with your blog.”
October 19th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
How about automatic music or video? That irritates me. Give me an option at least.
October 19th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Man I cannot stand the whole grey-out trend that has taken over the Web in the past year.
A pop-up in an Armani suit is still a pop up.
October 19th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
I’ve never had anyone resize my window but I use full screen so maybe I don’t know it happens.
Could you do me a favor and just check my blog to make sure that doesn’t happen? I don’t know how to make it happen so hopefully it won’t but sometimes a blog template might do unexpected things I guess.. I’m new to Wordpress so still a bit unfamiliar with the template and how everything works.
I can’t imagine using small windows to surf but if it works for you congrats! 
I wrote a top 14 reasons I will unsubscribe from your blog after going through and clearing out my Google Reader. I’ve seen a few other posts like that but none of them are identical, and I always like reading a different blogger opinion on that anyway - to make sure I’m not doing anything that annoys people.
Not only that, but content like this is great because out of all the top posts on sphinn today, I clicked on one only. This one. That’s why people write those lists - they are always popular content.
Cheers,
Snoskred
October 21st, 2007 at 6:48 am
Yeah, I agree with most of them. By the way, I wrote a similar post: 6 Bihhest Turn-Offs
http://www.technomoney.net/index.php/2007/10/12/6-biggest-turn-offs/
October 21st, 2007 at 8:43 am
I hate google ads everywhere too. But I especially agree with the music.And not just on blogs, but websites too.
October 21st, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Thank you! I hate lists. I did find a way to prevent my window being resized though. 1. Open Firefox, Preferences (or if you’re on Windows…Tools, Options)
2. Go to the Content Tab
3. To the right of “Enable Javascript” hit “Advanced…”.
4. Uncheck “Move or Resize Existing Windows”
That’s it…
October 21st, 2007 at 5:50 pm
1.) Never seen it.
2.) Internet marketer. When will you learn?
3.) How many SMX related ones have I seen in the past week? How bout a top 20 most repetitive SMX top 10 lists?
4.) Doesn’t really bother me. Gotta make a buck, you know?
October 23rd, 2007 at 8:10 am
@Ruth, never knew that “no resize” was even there. Thanks for the heads up!
November 29th, 2007 at 1:05 am
Nice article.
And interesting blog as a whole.
Thanks for sharing this.
October 18th, 2007 at 10:35 am
I agree I hate seeing blogs that have ads all over them with very little content. Worse yet they have google ads embedded in the middle of there postings.