How many bookmarks do you have? I have over 10 folders and each one holds an average of 100 bookmarks. These have been gathered over the last 8 years. I have even more on my other laptops that I had not transferred over, just because I wanted to start fresh with each new computer. Going back and looking at those bookmarks is like a walk back in time, a road map backwards and as I scroll through, I can see the burning heaps alongside the road.

Where’s the love?

Why haven’t I gone back and visited those sites? Probably the same reasons I don’t go to fun fair carnivals that set up for a day. At night the carnivals are a thing of beauty, the sparkling lights, the smell of popcorn, and the booming music coming from each ride is a lure to buy a book of tickets. I am a sucker for anything flashy and I will try each ride, but after the quick thrill I am done. I could ride the most exciting rides again, but I already know what is going to happen, when it will break to the right or drop suddenly, a sense of ennui sets in. My bookmark folders are Fun Fair carnivals filled with exciting rides that I have ridden once. My reasons why can be explained by using the carnival ride analogy.

Which ride have you been on?

1. The Funhouse: I was taken in by the flashy bells and whistles and then grew tired of it.

2. The Ring Toss: Was not simple enough to use. The interface was too complicated and I had to jump through too many hoops.

3. Tilt-a-Whirl: Designers who use 4 pt type. It looks fun, but no matter how great the writing, I was not going to go blind reading it.

4. Whack a Mole: Wow. So much content, but where am I supposed to go first?

5. Bumper Cars: A site that you actually like, but they decide to change course and UI overnight because they changed their business plan.

6. Fun Slide: Looks good, goes fast and then ends. So what was that about?

7. Orbiter: A site that lets you only go in one direction and takes you back to the same starting point. For instance a site that does not let you expand it’s uses or does not offer open sources to developers.

8. Pitch Till You Win: A site that only lets you proceed after filling in every field.

9. The Ghost Train: “Is there anyone in here? Hello? I have a question. Is there anyone there? Help?”

10. Chair-o-Planes: “Cool, this is cool. Going round and round, wheeee. Okay, I have been here a while, can I get off now? Hey, let me off.” Once you have registered on this site, you will never be able to leave. You will get emails asking you to visit, to see the new UI, etc.

“Is that all there is?” Peggy Lee sang about the let down after great expectations. Websites make promises that are hard to keep, the more they promise, the greater the let down. I have found that that the sites that start with a simple idea and build on it, are the ones that I will ride again and again.

(Images)