Dark patterns are sneaky tricks websites use to fool users into doing things they don't want to do. This video and glossary describes a number of the manipulative ruses and gives some examples.
Confirmshaming
The act of guilting the user into opting into something. The option to decline is worded in such a way as to shame the user into compliance.
Forced Continuity
When your free trial with a service comes to an end and your credit card silently starts getting charged without any warning. In some cases this is made even worse by making it difficult to cancel the membership.
Sneak into Basket
You attempt to purchase something, but somewhere in the purchasing journey the site sneaks an additional item into your basket, often through the use of an opt-out radio button or checkbox on a prior page.
Roach Motel
You get into a situation very easily, but then you find it is hard to get out of it (e.g. a premium subscription).
It’s important for kids to learn that the world is replete with charlatans, mountebanks, rascals, rogues, hustlers, flim-flammers, tricksters, and con artists. Disney is doing its part by selling a kit of “1001 Stickers” of famous Disney princesses like Ariel, Jasmine, etc. But when kids open the package, they’ll see that 768 of the stickers […]
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The good news: Software like Adobe Premiere Pro, Camtasia and Final Cut Pro has opened up a ton of possibilities for desktop videographers. On the other hand, their use is so widespread that you have to be an expert in them before you can even think about a career in the field. That’s a requirement […]
There are a lot of high-tech drones and RC planes flooding the market lately, and the innovations are coming so fast on each new iteration, most of them forget one crucial thing: Flying these is supposed to be fun. Here’s an alternative that keeps that ethic firmly in mind: The Moskito Smartphone-Controlled Plane. This thing […]
There are few intellectual exercises better than a good game of chess against a capable opponent, which is why a lot of old hands at the gameplay it online. But there’s still nothing like the tactile thrill of moving a knight into checkmate. (Or sweeping the pieces off dramatically when you lose.) That’s why we’re […]
