Frames, just say NO! - just a few reasons why they are bad

• Frames are very bad for getting onto Search Engines.
• Frames prevent certain disability programs accessing your site.
• Not all browsers support frames.
• Frames cause Printing problems.
• You prevent people book marking the page they want.
• They take up a lot of space.
• They cause unneeded scrolling, often even sideways.
• They allow you to see only small bits of content at a time, thus keeping you from seeing the bigger picture.
• They make navigation harder.
• Frames tend to slow the page loading time down.
• Frames Distort page-view stats from the server logs.

The people who invented frames pulled them off their own site within 6 months because they realised all the problems they caused. So if the people who invented it pulled it off their site doesn't that prove that something is seriously wrong with using them?

There is almost no reason these days to be using frames and they are a really bad way of designing a site.

Fixed Fonts

A lot of us are guilty of this, including me at times. Try not to fix the size of the font and rather use -1 +1 or in css x-small or x-large etc. If you're one of many who has trouble reading small text or you have your monitor resolution over 1024 this kind of font-fixing is a problem.

Mystery Meat Navigation

This is where a site has images for the navigation but it isn't until you move the mouse over each image do you see where it's going to. This is such a stupid way of making a navigation I'm amazed just how many sites use it. Click Here for more information and all the problems associated with it.

Web Site Awards

These are really, really stupid. People are always going onto really bad looking sites and yet these sites claim they have won dozens of website's awards. most people realise quite quickly that it's all a load of tripe. These only make your site look tacky and you look desperate.

Textured Backgrounds

Almost a decade ago they were fun because everyone had only ever seen plain backgrounds so it was a change. But a decade later they look dated and everyone realise's that it makes the page harder to read. Look at the top 100 companies and I doubt if even 1 will be using textured backgrounds because they distract you from looking at what you should be looking at.

Popup's

This rates by many as the most annoying thing when entering a site. You will instantly lose a great deal of visitors if you insist on trying to control what they see in this way. If you need to open a new window tell them that it is about to happen. Also bare in mind many disabled site-viewers cannot access popup's and nor can other things like web tv.

Music

Ranks alongside popup's as one of the most hated things on the net. If people want to listen to music they will have the radio on. Never force music onto people, they will hit the back button faster than the speed of light. If you must have music then have the music OFF when they enter the page and give them the option to turn it on. If you do it the other way around most people won't wait around trying to find the off button and will simply hit the back button instead.

Java, Javascript and Java VM™

A large number of people turn it off by default. WinXP comes without Java VM™. There are security issues with java as well as badly written scripts causing browsers to crash. Don't use if at all possible and if you're using it for buttons or anything else that you need people to see and use then make sure you have standard hyperlinks on the page also. If you don't quite a number of people won't be able to use your site.

Flash

As above. Too many designers using Flash forget that people don't always have it. Take http://www.2advanced.com for example. Awesome looking flash but if you turn it off you'll notice that almost all their sites won't be accessible for anyone without flash. I wonder how many thousands of potential clients their customers are losing?

Flash has been abused. Security issues with the scripting, flash banners and those really annoying scripts where the window moves across the screen and you have no way of turning it off. More and more people are switching Flash off. Make sure your clients can still access your site without it. If it isn't needed do you really need to use it?

This site is best viewed in....

Ok, this will sound a little "pot calling the kettle" when the main part off my site is now for 1024 res and above. What you need to bear in mind is the whole site is geared towards that precise resolution so for the first time in my life I have created a web site specific for a certain resolution. It did used to be for all resolutions but in this one instance I wanted the people using the resolution I'm targeting to have a better experience. I can't actually think of any other reason for not catering to all resolutions so with that in mind:

If you can't design a web site for everybody then employ someone who can. Harsh I know but what's the point having a site if you're turning away potential customers. Thankfully you see this stupid message less and less. Don't annoy visitors by forcing them to upgrade their browser or computer because of your poor design because I can tell you for a fact they won't upgrade just for you!

This site is under construction.

Another real annoying thing to see on a web page. People won't be coming back all the time to see if you've updated because for the majority of sites that use this they never do actually add anything else. There is no reason you can't add a "Coming soon" page but don't upload a half finished site, people won't be coming back.

Pointless and stupid scripts

Disable right click
There is NO WAY ... let me repeat that.... NO WAY of protecting anything you put on the net. You can spend weeks trying to protect your images or source code but I can get your image in less than 2 seconds and your source code within a couple of minutes. If you try to stop people getting your things it will make them more determined to get them.

Mouse trails

These are really annoying and the "That's nice" feeling leaves the person after only a few seconds. After that it drives them nuts. Don't use

Status Bar message

These are annoying and rude, People don't like their browsers being taken over and a lot of people do look to see that the link they are about to click on isn't a nasty script or a dirty site.

Alert messages

These things are really annoying also. Forcing someone to click on one of these just to carry on will drive them away fast!

Animated Gif's

Over use of these is really annoying. I've always gone by this motto "A picture must speak a thousand words". Having a mouse disco dancing doesn't say anything other than "Yeah, this page is loading up a whole load of junk that is completely pointless, hope you stick around". Which of course, they won't.