Too much Friction on the Internet
Read time: 4 minutes. 927 Words
I'm old enough to have seen the Internet become a thing. From the early days (for me) of simple emails and web pages, and squealing dial-up modems connecting to the web, to what we have now.
Over that time things have gotten much more complex, useful, pleasing, and fast. We now have almost everything at our finger-tips.
The Cost
With this current incarnation of the information super highway, we have come to accept certain hindrances. I prefer to call it Friction.
Gone are the days of a web page loading and showing what you expect. Equally, typing a simple email is never enough now.
There are so many things delaying our journey through the internet.
Are you sure?
Let's do the tango as we surf the web.....
Firstly, most people will use a search engine. It seems bookmarks are dead for your average surfer. When you hit the search engine, you're asked/warned about your privacy, and how much data they will retain about your interaction with them. Of course, this is contained within a five-thousand word policy which few people have the life-span to read.
Ultimately you get a list of results. For all the major search-engines this includes obligatory sponsored results at the top, which will be almost irrelevant to your needs. You may also have some side panels with images from more sponsors trying to sell you stuff you never knew you needed or wanted.
If you make it to a website with content, you have to navigate another cookie policy prompt. This cute little box has all the colours and default options set for you to focus your eye on the accept button. Who cares that you are agreeing to hundreds of third-party companies now tracking your every click. Selling your life to the devil.
You dig deeper and want to opt-out. Some sites will have a Reject All, but others require you to toggle a variety of switches to opt out of "legitimate interest" trackers. WTAF. Whose legitimate interest?
The latest piece of friction to the Cookie Policy Catastrophe may well be that if you don't accept all their tracking you have to pay to read the content.
Only today, I was on a website where I naturally rejected all cookies. It then filled half the reading page with a banner, stating:
Articles will no longer be able to display external content such as YouTube videos, posts from X (Twitter) and Instagram pictures.
Cookies not linked to your personal data will be created to allow the website to run.
Lower quality ads may be displayed.
If you are lucky enough to navigate the cookie crud, you start reading.
You may get a "helpful" popup after a few minutes, inviting you to rate the page/site, or worse still, sign-up to their newsletter. Has anyone ever in the history of the world agreed to sign up based on that annoying prompt?!
Of course, you need to read deep into the article as the first few paragraphs are stuffed full of a word salad trying to coax the search engines into thinking this is the page you want.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) has ruined the experience. We have an industry of uniformed frauds trying to coax large Corporates into spending cash to get their content seen first in a search engine. The SEO "experts" constantly try to manipulate the algorithms, and fail miserably, but still people are fooled into paying for this service.
(Since drafting this article, I see that Kev Quirk has written a post on this very aggravation - Search is Broken).
As you move your mouse to the 'close tab' option you get a further pop-up begging you to read more; rate the site; get in touch.
The new layer
And now, the genius that is the investor, is forcing AI on us at every stage. Apparently we want it? Well no one asked me!
We can't even read an email without being offered the opportunity of a soul-less pile of computer chips offering to save us time and summarise the content. When we do attempt a reply we are offered suggestions on how to say it better!
All the time sucking up our content, storing it, training its brain, sharing our data widely.
Tools for the job?
All the above noted, there are a myriad of software tools to circumvent many of these issues and make the digital dance more pleasant. But why should we?
The indie-web
I am forever grateful for the independent web, and the small army of individuals who write great content; do not over stuff the text for SEO, and are not interested in tracking your every click, or selling your data.
As an indie content creator or consumer, it is important that we support each other. This can come in many ways:
- Communicate with the author to simply acknowledge their good work. It might make their day.
- Join them in sharing their work to your own circles, if others would find it useful.
- Buy a Coffee! Lots written about this one lately. I've not blogged anything as I think it has all been said. Me, I have no issue with an indi-creator providing a link where I can, if I wish, donate literally a few pounds/dollars/euros (the price of a coffee). I've donated many times, and support several independents who make my life online more enjoyable.
Rise up, support the indie-web. Write and become one of them; your own thoughts and experiences are just as important as anyone else. It's not difficult, or costly. (may even be free)
Buy Me a Coffee
No need to buy me a coffee! I've never drank one. Feel free to buy me a Wine 🍷 haha