Episode 77 – Silicon Valley Whistleblowers, Google Zero Results Page Experiment, and the 4 Most Annoying UI Techniques

It’s been a wild week in the social media and digital marketing world and the Digital Natives are here to give you the latest. Min, Kyle, and Rai discuss the politics of Silicon Valley and what that means for people trying to get the word out about not-so-savory doings, a short-lived Google experiment, and annoying UI techniques that should be avoided at all costs. Don’t forget to listen every Friday morning for the latest and greatest in digital marketing, design, and tech!

Silicon Valley Whistleblowers [9:07]
Google Zero Results Page Experiment [17:35]
The 4 Most Annoying UI Techniques [23:05]

Silicon Valley Whistleblowers

We’re sure that you’ve been following the Cambridge Analytica scandal that’s been breaking over the past few weeks. One big part of the puzzle is the whistleblowers that alerted the public that this questionable activity was going on. Kyle talks about how strict nondisclosure agreements at Silicon Valley tech companies are contributing to some other shady doings that are unknown to the public.

Google Zero Results Page Experiment

Well, that was quick. An interesting experiment that Google launched mid-month has already ended. Rai tells us about a feature that Google was testing out that showed zero search results for certain searches. That’s right. No ads, no organic results, no snack pack or knowledge graph. Nada. For example, a search for “Time CST” would simply tell you what time it was in Central Standard Time. Will Google eventually bring this back in some form? Only time will tell.

The 4 Most Annoying UI Techniques

Do you ever find yourself avoiding certain websites because the design just sucks? Chances are they’re using some of these offending UI techniques. Min guides us through some of the most annoying features that are commonly found across the internet from pop-ups to scroll speed and gives us tips on what we should be doing instead.

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