| Nhuchche |
Posted
on 20-Feb-02 07:00 AM
From BBC News
Half of web surfers lose temper on regular basis
We have all heard of road rage and air rage. Now we have web rage.
More than half of all internet users admit to losing their rag with the net at least once a week, according to a Mori study.
High on people's stress meter is the length of time it takes websites to appear, help buttons that do not offer any help and requests for personal details before being allowed into a site.
One frustrated IT manager admitted to smashing up his £2,500 laptop after a web page failed to recognise his personal details after six attempts.
Such violent outbursts are not unique. Mice and keyboards seem to bear the brunt of people's frustration, with 7% admitting to hitting them after a frustrating web experience.
Revenge is sweet
If you sense a colleague's mounting anger at the web, it might be best to leave the room.
A small number, 2%, admitted to hitting workmates to vent their frustration.
Revenge tales are also common. One 43-year-old man ordered £1 million worth of goods from a website after a TV he ordered failed to turn up despite sending numerous e-mails.
Net headaches
52% log off when angry
26% boycott irritating site
11% lost their temper daily
83% revisit sites they like
"I really hate it when it takes ages to get through to a web page to find it is out of order or being rebuilt," said one 27-year-old female user.
"I frequently e-mail a load of abuse to the 'where to contact us' e-mail address you find on these sites."
Occupational stress management consultant Carole Spiers explained why people get so cross with the web.
"Web users must be able to feel in control. When we feel that control is being lost, irritation builds and our blood pressure starts to rise," she said.
"However we mustn't expect technology to always work for us."
Chill out site
The survey was commissioned by Abbey National to mark the relaunch of its website.
It has come up with a novel way to reveal the daily stresses of the net.
It has created Momentsofsimplicity.co.uk, has a selection of chilled out music and images to calm surfers down.
Perhaps a visit there would be advisable the next time you get your bank statement.
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