Speaking of annoying things

You weren't? 

Oh.  I will, anyway. 

One annoying thing is that my industrial vendors' web sites are still all gaga over social media.  Somebody in a Dilbert-style world steps out of a manager meeting and says, "Our competition is on FaceTweet!  We need some of that FaceTweet social stuff too!  Get to work on that, Snodgrass!  I want to see World Wide Wickets on FaceTweet by end of month!  While you're at it, see if you can get some of our product videos on SelfTube!  Then use that new electronic mail thing to send it to all our prospects, you hear me?"

But, alas!  The annoyance, it grows.  As the earth ages, and hopes darken, the sources of annoyance, like evening shadows, only grow.

Perfectly nice e-commerce sites that already contain all I require now have annoying (disturbingly annoying) floating boxes letting me know that a live person is online to chat if I have any questions.  Holy weeping Madonna... Even the UPS online shipping that I have been using for many years now has the annoying floating box of chat-invitation.  Just get out of my way already!  Stop! Don't follow my cursor down the screen!  That's annoying! 

Let me clue you in, Chat Invite Box Site Designer:  had I wanted to talk to a live person, I could have gone to a "store" or even picked up a "phone" or used a "link" on your "site" go send an email through your "contacts"!  Please just let me relish the anonymity and privacy of wandering through your e-commerce areas unmolested.  Please. 

Please?

I know they are not listening.