Building Really Annoying Web Sites

EXAMPLES & CODE!

Here are links to many of the tricks presented in this book, organized by chapter.
Click a link to see the trick — then copy the code into your own Web page!
(NOTE: Not all the tricks have code listed here — I can't give the entire book away online!) 

Chapter 1    Chapter 2    Chapter 3    Chapter 4

Chapter 5    Chapter 6    Chapter 7    Chapter 8

Chapter 9    Chapter 10    Chapter 11    Chapter 12

CHAPTER TRICKS
1. Bothersome Backgrounds #1: Pick an Eye-Popping Background Color

#2: Use a Multiple-Colored Background

#3: Use Different Backgrounds for Each Frame on the Page

#4: Make the Background Flash On and Off

#5: Make the Background Colors Cycle

#6: Use a Text Background Behind the Text

#7: Use a Busy Background Graphic

#8: Add a Bad Background Gradation

#9: Make the Background Image Scroll Automatically

#10: Force the Background to Remain Stationary

#11: Use an Animated Background

#12: Make the Background Fade from Black to White

#13: Force Users to Endure Long Page Transitions

#14: Add Falling Objects to the Page 

2. Tedious Text #15: WRITE IN ALL CAPS!

#16: MiX uPPer- aNd LoWeRCasE tExt

#17: Forget to Check Spelling and Grammer

#18: Pick an Unreadable Font

#19: Pick a Font That Most Browsers Don't Support

#20: Make the Text Too Small — or Too Large — to Read

#21: Align the Text Awkwardly 

#22: Make Your Paragraphs Really, Really Long

#23: Make Text and Background Colors Clash

#24: Use Different Colors Throughout the Text

#25: Cycle the Text Color

#26: Make Text Blink

#27: Make Text Glow

#28: Make the Text Fade In and Out

#29: Make Text "Type" On-screen, Very Slowly

#30: Make Text Grow and Shrink

#31: Make Text Scroll

#32: Make Text Ripple Across the Screen

#33: Make Text Jiggle

3. Loathsome Links #34: Ensure Lots of Dead Links

#35: Underline Text That Isn't a Link

#36: Randomly Change Link Colors

#37: Make a Link Disappear

#38: Add a Mouseover Message

#39: Display a Mouseover Alert

#40: Link Without Clicking

#41: Force a Link to Open in a New Window

#42: Add Sounds to Your Links

4. Senseless Scrolling and Frustrating Frames #43: Make a Web Page Excruciatingly Long

#44: Force Users to Scroll Horizontally

#45: Change the Scrollbars' Color

#46: Break a Page into Unnecessary Frames

#47: Make a Frame So Small That It Has to Scroll

#48: Force Your Frame Around All Linked-To Pages

#49: Ensure That Users Can't Bypass Your Frames

5. Pointless Pop-ups and Worthless Windows #50: Display an Alert or Confirm Dialog Box

#51: Create Annoying Pop-up Windows

#52: Force a Pop-up to the Top — or the Bottom

#53: Make a Window Fill the Entire Screen

#54: Create a Delayed Pop-up

#55: Create a Pop-up Window That Won't Stay Closed

#56: Create a Pop-up Bomb

#57: Launch Two or More Pop-ups at Once

#58: Make a Pop-up Look Like an Alert Box

#59: Create a Frameless Pop-up

#60: Launch a Peeker Pop-up

#61: Shake a Window

#62: Make a Window Jump Around the Screen

#63: Make a Window Expand and Contract Automatically

#64: Make a Window Expand When Moused Over

#65: Slide a Window Off the Screen

6. Crazy Cursors #66: Change the Shape of the Cursor

#67: Make the Cursor Arrow Point in Another Direction

#68: Add Trailing Stars to the Cursor

#69: Make Any Image Follow the Cursor

#70: Make a Text Message Follow the Cursor

#71: Add a Roaming Cursor to the Page

#72: Create Fireworks When a Link Is Hovered Over

7. Grating Graphics #73: Force Users to Load a Really Big Graphic

#74: Pick the Least Efficient File Format

#75: Never Use Thumbnails

#76: Don't Crop Dead Space from Your Pictures

#77: Make Pictures Switch When They're Hovered Over

#78: Make a Picture Fade In and Out

#79: Force Users to Watch an Automated Slideshow

#80: Make a Graphic Wander Around the Screen

#81: Place a Nonscrolling Watermark on the Page

8. Maddening Music and Senseless Streaming #82: Force Users to Listen to Music Before the Page Loads

#83: Play a Random MIDI File

#84: Play It Loud

#85: Pick the Least Efficient File Format

#86: Add a Self-Playing Movie to Your Page

#87: Send High-Bandwidth Media to Low-Bandwidth Users 

9. Aggravating Animations and Purposeless Plug-ins #88: Force Users to Watch an Annoying Animation — Before They Can Enter Your Site

#89: Overuse Bleeding-Edge Technology

#90: Make Users Upgrade Their Browsers Before They Can View Your Page

10. Nonsensical Navigation #91: Create Confusing Buttons and Links

#92: Use Extremely Long and Complicated URLs

#93: Hide Important Pages Behind Misleading Links

#94: Make Sure Your Home Page Isn't Really Home

#95: Don't Include Navigation Bars or Menus

#96: Strand Users with No Way Home

#97: Redirect Users to Another Page, for No Apparent Reason

#98: Nag Users to Bookmark Your Page

#99: Nag Users to Make Your Page Their Home Page

11. Rage-Inducing Registrations #100: Force Users to Click OK Before They Enter

#101: Force Users to Choose a Browser Before They Enter

#102: Force Users to Click a Banner Ad Before They Enter

#103: Force Users to Provide a Password Before They Enter

#104: Bomb Their Browsers If They Don't Know the Password

#105: Force Users to Register Before They Enter

#106: Require That Certain Fields Be Completed

#107: Make Users Complete the Form Within a Specified Time Limit

#108: Don't Provide Any Help If Users Forget Their Password

#109: Don't Use Cookies to Track Repeat Visitors

#110: Block Underage Users

#111: Block Users Who Come from Certain IP Addresses 

12. Painful Purchasing #112: Hide the Most Popular Items on Your Site

#113: Use Slow-Loading Product Photos — and Lots of Them

#114: Make Visitors Watch Bad Flash Animations

#115: Require Uncommon Plug-ins

#116: Recommend Totally Irrelevant Items

#117: Don't Offer One-Click Ordering

#118: Make Your Checkout as Confusing as Possible

#119: Make Visitors Complete a Questionnaire

#120: Require Credit Card Info Before Shoppers Order

#121: Make Visitors Start from the Top If They Screw Up

#122: Don't Let Visitors Continue Shopping

#123: Don't Tell Visitors an Item Is Out of Stock Until After They Order

#124: Don't Waste Time with Confirming E-Mails

#125: Don't Give Shoppers a Way to Contact You

#126: Ensure Unresponsive Customer Service

#127: Pack It Poorly and Ship It Slowly

#128: Make It Impossible to Return a Product

NOTE:
Not all of these tricks work on all versions of all Web browsers. That’s just the way things work — or don’t, as the case may be.
Some of these tricks can interfere with other tricks if you try to run two or more tricks at the same time. Practically all of these tricks can be annoying to at least some users some of the time. The author and publisher take no responsibility for the functionality or usage of these tricks, or for much of anything else. So there! 

 

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