Clutter. And I'm not talking about the clutter in my bathroom (which thankfully is hidden by the cabinets). I'm talking about all the rest of the clutter that quickly transformed a once easy to understand informational communication channel into a more chaotic communication channel of dump sites...yes...trash dump sites for the sole purpose of generating ad revenue. For example, think about the changes in the Internet over the past few years.
Without getting too detailed about why companies need to increase advertising and marketing efforts, offset costs and generate revenue, think about how the Internet websites used to look way back when before all the craziness exploded!
Ahhh...the beautiful world of the information highway...what an amazing highway it was...Simple layouts, easy to find navigation links, content was useful and separated from all that miscellaneous advertising trash...until one day the two married...all that awesome white space on websites became filled with ad space, banners, pop ups, and other online billboards of blah blah blah!
Does all this clutter really help sellers sell and buyers buy or does this only serve the purpose of confusing potential site visitors/potential buyers and inevitably...drive them away? Do consumers and Internet visitors want to be completely overwhelmed by constant flashing ads or pop up windows that move as you scroll down the page? Isn't it fun to click on the ad instead of the X-Close box? Grrrrrrr..........
And here's my biggest concern and annoyance...new online integrated marketing strategies and tactics to markets goods and services using identifiers otherwise known as "personalization"...Another new reality of online navigation where companies track your online whereabouts and prior visits to pages seem to haunt you as you open up new browser windows or simply navigate to other unrelated websites...yes...just another money making avenue for the website hosts to enjoy...at our expense of course!
It's especially awesome (notice the sarcasm) when you've viewed lingerie and then close out without purchasing it only to see that awesome teddy or bra/panty set show up when your younger daughter later opens up the web browser and the home page is set to CNN or FoxNews...and guess what shows up once again on the right side of the webpage??? Yup! You got it! That slinky teddy or sexy nightie...nice, huh? Thankfully I wasn't looking at anything rated higher than Rated R!!! Phew! ;)
***Sigh*** Apparently Firefox doesn't get rid of ALL cookies or whatever it is that ties these sites together. Hrmmm...I wonder if some webmaster or marketing genius somewhere approves of my lingerie selections? {insert evil grin here}
So enough digressing and ranting...but I think you get the point. I used to enjoy my downtime perusing the Internet...especially websites that feature news, fashion, and general information but now even the most sacred of things (i.e. online shopping haha!) has been corrupted. I have to draw a line somewhere...right?
I miss the simple websites, those that felt relaxing and I didn't feel like companies are stalking consumers or potential consumers, where I could find what I wanted without having to click 20 times or stare at the screen for more than a few minutes just to figure out where I need to go to navigate to my final destination. Alas! The solace I once felt is no longer my reality.
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