I host some “Top #X Whatevers” pages on my website, but I put all the items (writing tips of some sort) on one page, and include a table of contents that you can use to jump directly to the item you want to read.
But I knew the list I was considering reading would start with item 5, and that I would have to load, scroll past lots of ads, find the “next” link, click, and repeat.
Still, 5 items did not seem like too much of a burden. So I clicked, scrolled, and waded through items 5, 4, 3, and 2, finally making it to 1.
Or I thought I had gotten to 1.
Instead of loading the Top [Thing About Which I am Momentarily Curious], I found a “Runners-up #25-21” page, meaning that I still had 5 more spammy pages of craptastic chum to click through.
And now I feel that particular feeling of shame that comes from knowing you’ve been click-baited. And rather than slog through those extra craptastic pages, I wrote this blog post.
I hope Google develops a metric to determine how likely people are to bail out of a series of pages. A browser plugin that constructs dynamic tables-of-contents out of crappy listicles would be very welcome.
Post was last modified on 3 Feb 2018 6:47 pm
Representing the Humanities at Accepted Students Day.
The daughter opens another show. This weekend only.
After learning of his AIDS diagnosis, artist Keith Haring created the work, "Unfinished Painting" (1989),…
Seton Hill students Emily Vohs, Elizabeth Burns, Jake Carnahan-Curcio and Carolyn Jerz in a scene…
Inspiration can come to those with the humblest heart. Caedmon the Cowherd believed he had…
View Comments