Ads: They help keep websites afloat, and they annoy users. Well, it depends on the ad. Personally, I don’t mind standard AdSense-style ads. Others, though….

So what type of ad is the most irritating? Keep reading to find out.

The Contenders

Flashing/Vibrating Ads

Imagine this: You’re trying to read a webpage, but this distracting banner ad reading “You won [fill_in_the_blank]! Click here to claim your prize!” is flashing red and yellow…while vibrating. Doesn’t take much imagination, does it?

In-Video “Commercials”

Commercials belong on TV, not in online video clips. On IMDB you have to watch a stupid ad before you can view a trailer. On Shockwave.com you have to watch an irritating commercial before a game loads. They’re slowly becoming more common, unfortunately.

Flash-Based Banners With Sound

At first, they look like any old banner ad. Then you hear stupid voice-clips and sound effects blaring through your speakers.

The “Winner”

The winner of the Most Annoying Ad Type Award goes to…… “In-Video ‘Commercials’”, with ‘Flash-Based Banners With Sound’ a close second. Despite the annoyance of having unwanted sounds blaring through your speakers, unwanted videos are worse. Do you really want to be forced to watch a 30-second commercial before you can see a 1-minute video clip? No way! If YouTube adds these, I’ll be very annoyed.