Autoplay Is Awful

I have a funny feeling I'll be screaming about this until the Wired finally burns to the ground, but: people. For the love of all and any gods, goddesses, or various higher powers. Stop. Putting. Autoplaying. Music. On. Your. Webpages. Bloody stop it already.

Why? It's the digital equivalent of that dickhead that sits in the quiet car on the train and plays his shitty mixtape at 150dB without headphones. As I'm always saying: my friend, I am glad you enjoy your music. I would never tell you not to enjoy it. But not everyone else will, nor should they have to. Lots of people browse with their own music ALREADY playing, or a podcast, or whathaveyou. Basically, dragging your viewer into a room and screaming "LISTEN TO THIS!!!" is rude. Don't do it.

(Plus, some of us have an exaggerated startle response, usually for Reasons, so suddenly being hit with a blast of sound when we're not expecting it? Can literally be physically painful. Jumpscares to folks with exaggerated startle responses can feel like a physical punch. Don't equivalent-smack your visitors, kids.)

If you really, really want to share your music -- and hey, I can understand that, music is great -- give your visitor the option of CHOOSING when they want to hear it, if at all. Your best bet is to use a webpage playlist like Wikplayer or one of its many equivalents, and don't set it to autoplay. Or be really old-fashioned and offer mp3 downloads like the sensible people on Web 1.0 did. Like this!