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Sneaky user interfaces, such as unwanted bundleware default checkboxes are now expanding into digital newspaper subscriptions. The Boston Globe's site uses lightly-colored close buttons and increases the price as the user goes through the sales process, as well as includes some newsletter-signup defaults. These dishonest-by-design interface elements that are intended to trick or obfuscate users are called dark patterns.
What are some of the most egregious examples you have seen? Have you even been asked to implement a design you found morally distasteful?
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Sneaky Sales and Pricing Practices Online
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The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
The mosquito is the state bird of New Jersey.
-- Andy Warhol
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 26 2016, @05:47AM
It's as if you don't agree that private business produces the best possible results. I'm watching you.
Private business that gives you 100 cell phone plans but not one that just does phone calls. Any TV channel you want, as long as you buy 99 you don't want. These are amazing products of the free market and our CEO got a huge bonus for paying for someone to come up with those. Just like your little website, some CEO got a nice rise for improving it like that.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday April 26 2016, @06:33AM
Private business would stop selling if people would stop buying. You say you don't like the taste of shit but why do you keep eating shit?
(Score: 4, Touché) by sjames on Tuesday April 26 2016, @06:49AM
here's why [youtube.com]. Food without shit in it isn't on offer.
(Score: 2) by Justin Case on Tuesday April 26 2016, @12:34PM
So offer it. You'll get a lot of customers.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday April 26 2016, @07:19AM
So right. If we stopped buying it, businesses would stop foisting it on us.
It would ruin a restaurant's image to have a picture of a hamburger with cooked cockroach served. The cockroach indicates careless kitchenmanship and spreading of disease.
Likewise, it should be ruining web business' image to have their webmaster using the same techniques used to spread malware.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 2) by Nuke on Tuesday April 26 2016, @09:12AM
Private business would stop selling if people would stop buying. You say you don't like the taste of shit but why do you keep eating shit?
Well we all need to buy something, food for example.
But the point here is people being tricked into buying something they had no intention of buying. It's shit being rammed down our throats. Did you read either the summary or TFA before your knee-jerk free-market meme popped out?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Justin Case on Tuesday April 26 2016, @12:27PM
100 cell phone plans but not one that just does phone calls
My cell phone just does phone calls. And texts. $10 a month plus 5 cents a minute. May not be what you're looking for, but it exists. I got it from a private business, a huge nasty corporation called Kroger.
Any TV channel you want, as long as you buy 99 you don't want.
Hmmm, seems like you've identified a market need. Why don't you start your own company and provide "Any TV channel you want, and you DON'T have to buy 99 you don't want." I'd switch in a second.
Of course, there are plenty of good answers to why you can't start your own company to provide that service. And as you list those reasons, you'll discover why the thing you're complaining about is not a free market.