Snap Previews – The MS paper clip of the web

The boys at Eclipse recently sent an email out about adding a new feature to their website – Snap Previews. Only one word came to mind. YUCK!

I have been coming across SNAP Previews for a couple of months on the web and they are annoying. Here’s why:

• They popup without warning – its like walking across a minefield – mercy on you if there are many links on a page.
• They get in the way of what you are doing – I am happily reading and then KAPOW! , an image pops up and blocks the text. Add insult to injury, you dont know how to make it go away.
• They are not helpful but pretend to be – An itsy bitsy image does not substitute a visit to a website. An itsy bitsy image does not even tell me what the website looks like.

If you are going to post some links, then post some links – I assume you want me to visit those links rather then check out how cool some color combination looks on a site.

I would go so far an say that Snap Previews are the MS Paper clip of the web – Unhelpful, Cute Unassistive Assistants except now they are on the web!

Update: I sent an email expressing my sentiments about the SNAP Previews to the Eclipse creatives who sent out the announcement, this is the response I got.

Very original. Your Kung-fu is better then mine, Heiko-San! You win!