Fugly Friday - The Solutions Network
I didn't think it was possible to fall out of the ugly tree and actually hit every branch on the way down. I thought that was just a figure of speech. One of those idiomatic expressions we use to describe something without really describing it. The Solutions Network proved I have a thing or two to learn about metaphors.
Imagine a site so jumbled with affiliate links, so riddled with primary colors, so overbearing in its use of tables -- filling every last inch of visible space with something you could click on, NOW! -- that any pretense of goodwill towards your fellow man you've ever held evaporates like so much dew from the top layer of a landfill in the morning sun.
It's a trainwreck of html, a prank played entirely in font tags. It simply must be.
The only thing the designer failed to use is BLINK. I'm going to guess that failure was either an intentional oversight -- one tiny concession to good taste in a sea of disgust -- or that he was so overwhelmed by the site himself that he fell dead at the keyboard before adding that one last cardinal sin of bad web design.
But wait, there's more. Immediately after your browser loads the last site you'll ever want to visit, a voice comes booming from your speakers, proclaiming that you've reached "the busiest site on the internet!" The irony is nearly enough to kill a man.
The cherry on top? Even the favicon is animated. I'm not even sure how you'd go about animating a favicon. You know why I'm not sure? Because, even without seeing an example of an animated favicon, my brain attempts to suck my own eyeballs deep within the recesses of my skull upon the very mention -- a physiological response I can only imagine was developed through generations of evolutionary genius as a last-ditch defense mechanism to prevent serious brain damage from spreading among the population.
If The Solutions Network is your personal key to making money on the internets, I highly reccomend that you begin scouting for a sturdy cardboard box in which to live at your earliest opportunity.
[Thanks Andrew for the tip. My shrink will be sending you the bill for my next 3 visits]
Imagine a site so jumbled with affiliate links, so riddled with primary colors, so overbearing in its use of tables -- filling every last inch of visible space with something you could click on, NOW! -- that any pretense of goodwill towards your fellow man you've ever held evaporates like so much dew from the top layer of a landfill in the morning sun.
It's a trainwreck of html, a prank played entirely in font tags. It simply must be.
The only thing the designer failed to use is BLINK. I'm going to guess that failure was either an intentional oversight -- one tiny concession to good taste in a sea of disgust -- or that he was so overwhelmed by the site himself that he fell dead at the keyboard before adding that one last cardinal sin of bad web design.
But wait, there's more. Immediately after your browser loads the last site you'll ever want to visit, a voice comes booming from your speakers, proclaiming that you've reached "the busiest site on the internet!" The irony is nearly enough to kill a man.
The cherry on top? Even the favicon is animated. I'm not even sure how you'd go about animating a favicon. You know why I'm not sure? Because, even without seeing an example of an animated favicon, my brain attempts to suck my own eyeballs deep within the recesses of my skull upon the very mention -- a physiological response I can only imagine was developed through generations of evolutionary genius as a last-ditch defense mechanism to prevent serious brain damage from spreading among the population.
If The Solutions Network is your personal key to making money on the internets, I highly reccomend that you begin scouting for a sturdy cardboard box in which to live at your earliest opportunity.
[Thanks Andrew for the tip. My shrink will be sending you the bill for my next 3 visits]














Comments
7
Subscribe to commentsIriverconvertJul 3rd 2009 7:22AM
Don't forget the injudicious use of that most hated of common fonts, Comic Sans.
Dave ForsterJul 3rd 2009 8:16AM
top right... "This site is brought to you by Bruce Castro"
he must be very proud of it ... poor fella!
Martin-TJul 3rd 2009 9:53AM
His mother must be so proud too!
WebberJul 3rd 2009 11:28AM
At least they didn't use Papyrus, or even worse, alternate each letter between Comic Sans and Papyrus and make the whole thing blink!
Doug HJul 3rd 2009 1:58PM
What I find interesting is that someone would take their time write about such a site...and, at least to some extent encourage others to waste their time. Think how much more beneficial his writing talent would be if it were spent on an equally advanced/progressive/new/enlightening website.
Chris Maxwell-GainesJul 3rd 2009 6:16PM
The ironic part of the website is the text, "THIS BUSINESS IS THE ESSENCE OF SIMPLICITY" which is about half way down in the center of the page (yeah, I know it may be hard to find).
Nathan AndersonJul 4th 2009 11:59PM
You know, if you scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, it's not so bad... he ran out of stuff to cram in the center column.