Impatient, we're not impatient!

We're all getting a bit more selfish on the web these days, at least that's what the annual report into web habits by web expert Jakob Nielsen says. Apparently, instead of spending time surfing pages, we are getting more strict about our time on the web and want to get straight to what we want.

The report shows that about 75 per cent of people on the web achieve what they set out to do, compared to 60 per cent in 1999. Neilsen says there are two reasons for this, the first is that designs have gotten better and that we are more used to the interactive environment online and can better navigate it.

He also says that we are consumers are becoming less patient with web sites that don't immediately get to the point, and designers need to sit up and take notice. Perhaps an even more interesting observation (and an indication that the web really is mainstream) is that people are becoming suspicious of promotions that try to keep them on a page.

MyTake - We are all busy, busy people and when you have a resource like the Internet that offers you the world on a plate, it's up to you to decide where you go and how fast you get there. In addition, I wonder if the use of the word surfing will change, after all it has fairly leisurely connotations that perhaps don't really describe what users are doing online. What I am saying is that there are times we surf, take our time and meander around, but other times we're straight-in and straight out. What would you call that?