I see aggressive web sites being sites that have pop-ups, have competing channels of information that are ill-controlled or thought through and which violate your privacy.

In the case of Rackspace, for example. Popping up chat windows when you are on the site. If I want to engage in a sales conversation, I know the various channels to use – indeed, I am on one of them so leave me alone and let me look around! I walk away from these companies. Same goes for companies that pop up “survey” requests when I visit pages. I don;t mind filling surveys, but not if they disturb my experience.

Popups in general are increasingly (finally) being seen as bad practice and rude. They violate the “web-etiquette” that is developing around accessibility and usability.

Other aggression is in sites where multiple channels of content compete. For instance, the old MotoGP and movies, sound and banners all playing when you went to the home page. Result was a barrage which was difficult to use and absorb.

Finally, those silly banner ads that “escape” from their allocated space on the page. There is an Orange ad on Yahoo! UK & Ireland at the moment that “leaks” and runs around the page.

Flash has a lot to answer for with these sites, but let’s not go there.

But they are good, apart from the ridiculous and stupid chat window that pops up whenever you go to their website. I hate aggressive web sites, particularly when the company is so good – it leaves me in some sort of consumer/usability paradox.

More companies should go green, but as most hosts are actually “virtual” and themselves rent space from the “backbone”, only the top-tier net companies can actually have the capability let alone capital, to go green in this way.