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Every website I visit these days seems to have this newsletter modal timebomb that unexpectedly blows once I've read a few sentences or so. Like the quarter-scr

Every website I visit these days seems to have this newsletter modal timebomb that unexpectedly blows once I've read a few sentences or so. Like the quarter-screen cookie dialog, I've just become blind to them searching just long enough to find an "X" or "close" button. I wonder how many others are being conditioned in the same way? At any rate, i think it's worth pointing out that you can always blog (and please support rss!). If the goal is to make money, maybe newsletters are one way to avoid grimy ads, but that said, how many newsletters are filled with ads and affiliate crap anyways? I like the idea of getting emails for stuff I am consistently interested in. I just don't get the hype.

t34543 7y ago
I believe the idea of email marketing is persistent because while annoying it does work. An ISP I worked at in early 00s sent a lot of spam (I’m sorry) and it was insanely profitable.
jrockway 7y ago
> I wonder how many others are being conditioned in the same way? I am. I am surprised they don't make the X "click here to download a virus".
blunte 7y ago
Honestly, if the page started with the newsletter signup box visible, I'd be more likely to consider signing up. But let me get 1-2 seconds into finding the start of the content that I'm looking for, and then pop up a newsletter (or any other) box over that, and I get annoyed. I'm VERY unlikely to sign up. Not never, but practically never will I sign up. Pop up a chat window next, 1-2 second after I closed the newsletter box, and I'm even angrier. Pop up a third thing and I'm out. Disruption is already bad enough in our modern world... but building systems specifically to disrupt is just garbage.
- bllguo 7y ago
  as always, it boils down to you being in the minority. This kind of thing has been a/b tested to death.
wdr1 7y ago
Capturing your email also facilitating ad retargeting.
xkcd-sucks 7y ago
All of these modal newsletters get signed up for jeff@amazon.com etc.
stevewillows 7y ago
It's not perfect, but I've been using this Kill Sticky [1] bookmarklet to ditch those modals without having to look around for their [close] or 'x' link. [1] https://github.com/t-mart/kill-sticky https://github.com/t-mart/kill-sticky

t34543 7y ago

I believe the idea of email marketing is persistent because while annoying it does work. An ISP I worked at in early 00s sent a lot of spam (I’m sorry) and it was insanely profitable.

jrockway 7y ago

> I wonder how many others are being conditioned in the same way? I am. I am surprised they don't make the X "click here to download a virus".

blunte 7y ago

Honestly, if the page started with the newsletter signup box visible, I'd be more likely to consider signing up. But let me get 1-2 seconds into finding the start of the content that I'm looking for, and then pop up a newsletter (or any other) box over that, and I get annoyed. I'm VERY unlikely to sign up. Not never, but practically never will I sign up. Pop up a chat window next, 1-2 second after I closed the newsletter box, and I'm even angrier. Pop up a third thing and I'm out. Disruption is already bad enough in our modern world... but building systems specifically to disrupt is just garbage.

bllguo 7y ago
as always, it boils down to you being in the minority. This kind of thing has been a/b tested to death.

wdr1 7y ago

Capturing your email also facilitating ad retargeting.

xkcd-sucks 7y ago

All of these modal newsletters get signed up for jeff@amazon.com etc.

stevewillows 7y ago

It's not perfect, but I've been using this Kill Sticky [1] bookmarklet to ditch those modals without having to look around for their [close] or 'x' link. [1] https://github.com/t-mart/kill-sticky https://github.com/t-mart/kill-sticky