# Impolite websites

Source: https://blog.fortrabbit.com/impolite-websites
Published: 2026-10-12
Author: Frank Lämmer
Tags: opinion

> Dark patterns, cookie coercion, and ad overload — things websites do that are manipulative, unethical, or illegal.




It's time for another rant about the web today. We love websites. We host websites. We like websites that are fast, standard compatible, accessible and content rich. "Build the web you want to see" we claim.

Yet. This.

## Cookie consents cluster

![Stack of identical cookie banners, each with a big Accept all button and a tiny reject link](/images/impolite-websites-endless-cookie-consents.png)

Cookie banners require many more clicks to decline than to accept. The "reject all" button is small, grey, hidden behind a "manage preferences" link. EVEN WORSE: On the next visit, the banner reappears. Maybe more a EU problem. Hopefully solved soon.

## 234 marketing partners

![Grid of pre-ticked checkboxes with ad-tech vendor names](/images/impolite-websites-234-marketing-partners.png)

Hundreds of "legitimate interest" partners, obscure data brokers and ad-tech vendors. Sure.

## Spies spy anyway

![An eye under a tracker-blocker badge counting 99](/images/impolite-websites-spying-anyway.png)

Consent or not, the tracking pixels and the fingerprinting runs anyway. IP address, clicks and keystrokes are all captured. Thank you uBlock my old friend.

## Ad-to-content ratio

![Recipe page with five ad slots around one line of ingredients](/images/impolite-websites-ad-to-content-ratio.png)

Ever tried to Google a recipe? The ingredient list is under a header ad, an interstitial, two in-content banners, a sticky footer ad, and a sidebar of sponsored content. Thank you AdBlock my old friend.

## Clickbait

![Headline: 12 tricks every web developer needs to know, number 7 will shock you](/images/impolite-websites-clickbait.png)

Sensational headlines optimized for emotional reaction and clicks. Often content does not even deliver on the premise.

## SEO-optimized copy

![Article repeating the phrase best banana bread recipe in every sentence](/images/impolite-websites-seo-optimized-copy.png)

Headings repeat the target keyword five times. FAQs answer questions no human would ever ask. Who cares? The page ranks.

## Inaccessibility

![Form with faint grey text, unlabeled fields and an image with empty alt](/images/impolite-websites-inaccessibility.png)

Low-contrast text, tiny tap targets, unlabeled form fields, missing alt text.

## Bloat

![Bar chart of one page's transfer size, hero video and ads at 18 and 14 MB](/images/impolite-websites-bloated-websites.png)

Website weight keeps growing. A simple news article can transfer 40 MB or more, because why not.

## CPU-expensive computation

![Nearly empty battery icon with a lightning bolt](/images/impolite-websites-cpu-expensive-computation.png)

Heavy JavaScript, scroll hijacking and similar gimmicks slow pages down and drain laptop batteries.

## In closing

> The dead Internet theory is a concept that asserts that the Internet consists primarily of bot activity and automated content manipulated by algorithmic curation.
>
> — [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Internet_theory)

This already happened? Websites could be fast and useful. But whatever. Old man yelling at clouds. Will  AI make it worse or better? Maybe both. Will AI replace the internet? Maybe only sad for our business.

## More reading

- [The website obesity crisis](https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm) (2015)
- [The 49MB Web Page](https://thatshubham.com/blog/news-audit) (2026)

## Credits

Illustration by Claude Design. It knows the web. Note the artistic transparent margin on the right.