And when a user receives an email saying they've been unsubscribed because an automated system prefetched the link, they won't be concerned or worried or confused at all. (Especially when this happens _every time_.
You are right, it doesn't seem like one, but to pissed off users it doesn't matter. If you, for any reason, piss people off to the point where they complain to your registrar or your hosting provider it is bad news. Doesn't matter why. So, the answer is to make it as easy as possible to get removed, which is why people use GET.
I have seen this with spam, and I have seen it with DMCA requests. My hosting provider will issue me a warning for any DMCA request that they will shut me down within 48 hours if I don't comply. Even when it is clearly not a valid request. Even when the content has already been removed. They don't even check, they just say "do it or else". And I pay them thousands per month. Godaddy is the same way, I have had people complain to them, and then they threaten to shut down the domain.
When you have been threatened repeatedly to be shut down for operating normally you don't take any chances. It isn't worth it.
The majority of people who clicked on the link did it on purpose, so a better pattern would be to make it unsubscribe immediately with a "didn't meant to unsubscribe? click here to undo" link afterwards.
You're making the mistake that this very article is highlighting: it's not just "people" who click links. An overzealous mail client or browser preloading links would force unsubscribe you without your knowledge or ability to undo.
A single step, a button push, to confirm an unsubscription is fine.
The thread is talking about situations where an automated system would 'click' the link though. The automated system is probably not going to go "oh oops, resubbed"
You could probably automate the POST action though. Equivalent of $('#unsub-button').click() on the unsubscribe page load
Github also does it for their logout button for good reason. Is that a dark evil pattern to keep you logged in to their ecosystem? Or just something someone would say who doesn't understand it?
Having a single confirmation step to prevent "oops" clicks doesn't seem like a dark pattern to me.
Confirmation steps should only be used if the action can't be easily undone.
It can't be easily undone if it was "clicked" by an automated process rather than a human being.
And when a user receives an email saying they've been unsubscribed because an automated system prefetched the link, they won't be concerned or worried or confused at all. (Especially when this happens _every time_.
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You are right, it doesn't seem like one, but to pissed off users it doesn't matter. If you, for any reason, piss people off to the point where they complain to your registrar or your hosting provider it is bad news. Doesn't matter why. So, the answer is to make it as easy as possible to get removed, which is why people use GET.
I have seen this with spam, and I have seen it with DMCA requests. My hosting provider will issue me a warning for any DMCA request that they will shut me down within 48 hours if I don't comply. Even when it is clearly not a valid request. Even when the content has already been removed. They don't even check, they just say "do it or else". And I pay them thousands per month. Godaddy is the same way, I have had people complain to them, and then they threaten to shut down the domain.
When you have been threatened repeatedly to be shut down for operating normally you don't take any chances. It isn't worth it.
Have a single "I clicked by mistake" button that resubscribes instead.
Yes, the automated system prefetching links will always click said button.
3 replies →
The majority of people who clicked on the link did it on purpose, so a better pattern would be to make it unsubscribe immediately with a "didn't meant to unsubscribe? click here to undo" link afterwards.
You're making the mistake that this very article is highlighting: it's not just "people" who click links. An overzealous mail client or browser preloading links would force unsubscribe you without your knowledge or ability to undo.
A single step, a button push, to confirm an unsubscription is fine.
14 replies →
The thread is talking about situations where an automated system would 'click' the link though. The automated system is probably not going to go "oh oops, resubbed"
You could probably automate the POST action though. Equivalent of $('#unsub-button').click() on the unsubscribe page load
Github also does it for their logout button for good reason. Is that a dark evil pattern to keep you logged in to their ecosystem? Or just something someone would say who doesn't understand it?
I trust Github. If it were up to me, I'd remove the logout confirmation from Github but having it there doesn't particularly bother me.
When Facebook does it, I do have a problem with it because I don't think their motives are as pure.