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Sneaky Sales and Pricing Practices Online

posted by cmn32480 on Tuesday April 26 2016, @04:48AM   Printer-friendly
from the sourceforge-was-guilty-of-this dept.

GungnirSniper writes:

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?

Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by halcyon1234 on Tuesday April 26 2016, @01:20PM

    by halcyon1234 (1082) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday April 26 2016, @01:20PM (#337461)

    If it is a significant, reputable software package it probably has a wikipedia page. From there, follow the link to the origin of the software.

    Counterpoint: The wikipage can be both deceiving and enlightening. Take CDEX for example. A simple, lightweight CD burner I've used for years. (Still have a CD player in car, blah, blah, whatever). So I'm on a new computer, and want to make a CD. I can't remember the download site. Search for CDEX takes me to some download-ware sites. Not enthused. Check Wikipedia for the actual link, and...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDex [wikipedia.org]

    Find out the company's been bought out by a scummy bundle-corp who is installing adware/malware bundled with the latest (now closed source) binary. (There's been some editing on the page since, but it's in the history)

    --
    Original Submission [thedailywtf.com]
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +2  
       Interesting=2, Total=2
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   4