Scobleizer - Latest Comments in I removed Snap’s previews from here

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Bacchus — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:35:39 -0000

I thought Snap previews were extremely nifty the first time I saw them (me, magpie, chirp!). And I contemplated using them on some of my sites.

Then, recently, I began noticing that most of the popup windows were empty.

They gotta fix it so the popup doesn't pop up unless it has something to offer. Otherwise, it's just STUPID.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Steve Thomas — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:20:37 -0000

Bring them back. Maybe I am less geek than many of your readers but I really found them helpful.

I read in the thread that you (a reader) can easily turn them off if you don't like them. (And if the vocal crowd is so advanced that they dont need them, why can they figure out how to turn them off. Sounds simple based on the above!)

Keeping them on and making it easy to turn off seems like a great solution to keep everyone happy.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

William — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 11:04:23 -0000

I like the Snap previews. I like getting a glimpse of where a link would take me; it helps me to make a more informed decision.

And for those who don't like the previews, it so easy to disable (and NO, you don't have to go to Snap's site to do it). You just click "options" on any preview bubble, and from there you can opt-out of the preview for the one site you are on, or all sites.

So to me, leaving it running on your site gives me the option. Taking it off your site takes away my choice. I'd like to see it back.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Jacob Wyke — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 10:06:19 -0000

Thanks for removing them...they were driving me crazy and were terrible for usability as its so unexpected and disrupts your viewing of the site.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

hubba — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 23:56:14 -0000

the snap previews is a time saver. the bubble let me decide what links are worth following at the "point of sale". i trust your linkink robert but i don't have time to follow each and every one of them. with previews i spend more time on your site or checking out sites you link to. with previews i spend less time on sites i did not want to visit after all.

i wonder if the people complaining here are the same people that were whining and moaning when web designers all of a sudden started using graphics. good thing that practice never took off!

change hurts... consider how much easier it is to say "no" than "yes" when confronted with something new and unfamiliar.

status quo is NOT good enough!

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

dr wires — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:53:33 -0000

i don't get the complaining at all. for all the rants, how many users like it silently? i'm put it across my site. i also think it's great that snap is listening to users to figure out features and controls. any plan to grab the first frame of video for .mov files? thanks to everyone at snap.com

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

paulfabretti — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 15:58:38 -0000

Jason, what a wonderfully articulate and graceful response to what I always thought was too many people jumping on the bandwagon.

If they all thought it was so bad isn't it funny how many people actually signed-up to it in the first place?

I wonder just how many people in these comments thought how good it was - well aware of the pop-up implications etc.

There is a perfectly good reason you grew so quickly - because it was (and in my mind, still is) a great idea and I look forward to seeing further innovations!

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

snapsearch — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:44:33 -0000

Hello,

I wanted to thank Robert again for taking the time and effort to give Snap Preview Anywhere a spin on this site.

As Robert alluded to in his post, we here at Snap are acutely aware of the issues described and we have several enhancements scheduled to release over the coming couple of weeks that in different ways will address these issues.

Rest assured that your and your readers' viewpoints have been, and will continue to, inform the ongoing development of this product.

Jason Fields
Product Evangelist, Emerging Technology
www.Snap.com

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Orville Chomer — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 14:29:08 -0000

Quote: "I have been talking with the Snap folks, though, and they are working hard on answering these concerns."

I've seen all the complaints registered in the comments of this post from others, but I was just wondering: are these complaints the same as yours? Do you have other issues with this feature? I've been doing a site for a co-worker http://movielanddirectory.com, which is a movie related tour guide of the LA area, and he was asking me about the possibility of adding Snap to the site. I definitely do not want to do that if it will just irritate most users.

Any-hooo, any info on the details of your concerns would be appreciated. Though the comments here already make me abit leary.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

papavb — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 11:26:21 -0000

How about like key shortcuts,

say shift+click, that way it wont be intrusive.

just a thought.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Shawn Levasseur — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:16:14 -0000

It could be worse.

Those sites that have the double underscore links to seemingly random words within articles that come up with similar pop up ballon ads that are related to that word are especially annoying.

The ads are usually are unrelated article, only that one word or phrase that has the double-underscored link, which made the ads even more awful as they were non sequiturs.

At least the Snap links were an attempt to be useful and relevant.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Daniel Goldman — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 10:05:39 -0000

Good move, Robert. I absolutely can't stand them; I never really understood why people have them.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

paulfabretti — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:46:53 -0000

Good idea Neil...!

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Neal (Again) — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:34:22 -0000

Snap has to visit these web sites to generate that preview picture. I just wonder how long it will be until certain, less ethical, web site owners start feeding Snap a completely different page. Then Snap preview shows clean, safe looking, ad free, page but when you visit you get a thousand ads, porn, goatse, and spyware downloads.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Neal — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:26:44 -0000

Thank goodness you came around. I saw Snap for the first time the day of your birthday post. Within three minutes I'd bitched at you in your comments, blocked Snap via Opera, and entered Snap's servers in my hosts file for IE.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Corinne — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:22:23 -0000

I think I'm not as bothered with Snap as some people, only because I don't link that often.

I love it, personally.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Corrine — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 09:08:33 -0000

I add my thanks as well. I tend to avoid sites that employ that irritating behavior, which is what I consider the Snap preview.

Tool-tips such as the service IntelliTXT from http://www.vibrantmedia.com/ (i.e., used at http://www.activewin.com )are just as irritating.

Although it may not be the case now, but ASAP (Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals, see http://asap.maddoktor2.com/... ) found tool-tips directed to malware installation sites. Both the MVPS Host file and IE-SPYAD list that URL of vibrantmeida.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

paulfabretti — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:38:23 -0000

@47: John

I can't disagree with you on the whole John, but it has some use. If on first glance, the Snapshot makes a blog look fairly good, I would probably give it a look.

Personally, the appearance of a blog says as much about the content as the content itself (although others would argue that the appearance attempts to hide a lack of quality content...like mine!!) so it is important for me to gauge credibility form looking at a preview of the page.

That said, involuntary pop-ups died when Firefox came out so why all go back to it???

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Christina — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:45:41 -0000

Thanks from over here too - I can't stand things like that that pop up and cover other things. Maybe if they were transparent - but probably not.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Sue — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:39:14 -0000

I got rid of SNAP windows a couple of days ago; it's true: most readers didn't like them. I thought they were great and easier than looking a link to find a PDF or some such nonsense. But the other day, there were too many "waiting to load" windows and it started bothering me, too, so POOF! and they were gone. Suggestion to SNAP folks: there is an old JavaScript thing that lets you choose to open links on the same or a new window that you can code into a blog. They should provide a similar feature: turn SNAP off by default and let users turn it on if desired.

I'd turn it on. I like the choice. How about it?

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

John C. Welch — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:20:58 -0000

Actually, a lot of the upset over Snap is jealousy. Why did I think of that!? If it didn’t have a logo, probably would be fewer complaints.

Hardly. It forced me to care about where my cursor was so I didn't accidently have some pop-up block what I was reading. You're misspelling "annoyance".

think Snap’s auto opt-in has a value in general, but not for what they do. Can’t say more.

"auto" opt-in? That's um...that's what is normally called "opt-OUT". See, when you have to take action for it to STOP, that's an opt-OUT system. There's a difference.

The service enabled me to look at blogs that with a standard text link I may not have bothered looking at.

In a bloody inch square? What, precisely, did that tell you about the link?

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

RexDixon — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 07:16:06 -0000

I did too. I read all the comments, and I agree. So I ditched it also.

Rex

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Billy — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 06:28:37 -0000

Good move, can't see what they can do to improve it, it's just a bad idea in the first place.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

paulfabretti — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 05:49:48 -0000

C'mon guys, give the service a break.

IMHO, anyone NOT liking it is not understanding the true meaning of being a blogger. Blogging is as much about posting information as it is linking to other sources (no need to tell Robert about THAT one!).

The service enabled me to look at blogs that with a standard text link I may not have bothered looking at.

Maybe the execution could be improved? How about a "Snap Certified Blog" icon which demonstrates to users that by hovering over the link for a period of time would trigger the link window? Can the code be set to pop open the window after a LONGER period of time?

Great idea and particularly relevant to the linking theme of the last few days. Anything that encourages people to respect the content of others by linking is a good thing for me.

Re: I removed Snap’s previews from here

Michael Specht — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 04:20:28 -0000

THANK YOU! Interesting service but terrible implementation.