Web Celeb 25: The page view model run amok

I feel dirty. I need a shower. Like other bloggers, I just had to look at Forbes' Web Celeb 25 list. Once there, I was caught in page view trap.

Forbes' model is apparently to get as many page views as possible without any regard for the reader. List porn, which is what a lot of these rankings amount to, is one thing (Techmeme discussion). But when the list is created to get blogger attention and then Forbes throws every page grabbing gimmick in the book at you it just feels cheesy.

The biggest offense here is the Forbes slideshow, which doesn't allow you to click to the next image because it moves on by itself about 60 miles per hour. I looked at the first two "Web celebs," clicked to another window and found myself at the end of the list when I returned. Way to get 22 cheap page views folks.

Of course, it's not all bad. Forbes does allow you to slow down the slideshow. Just don't click elsewhere or the setting goes right back to stun. Get distracted for a minute or two Forbes gets another 25 page views.

Even on the slower setting, the pictures move faster than you can read the captions. So what's a reader to do? Click back to read the remaining part of the caption--again. 

And I'm not alone. I've counted at least a half dozen folks that found themselves in the same trap. Well, I'm off to take a shower now. After all, I provided a link to the list and you're going to be trapped in just a few minutes. But don't blame me. I just had to blog this to get into the discussion. Traffic you know.