Back in my naive youth I fell for a few “screamers” - if you don’t know what these are, they’re basically videos or flash sites that trick you into concentrating on a picture or sound for a certain amount of time (like “Find what’s wrong with this picture” or “Where’s Waldo”), then have a horrifying picture pop up along with a bloodcurdling scream or roar.
Since the experience of being scared shitless is not a pleasant one, I’ve been extra cautious when clicking random links or youtube videos that look suspicious. How many times have you fallen for or come across this kind of prank, and what was your initial reaction? Do you think the people who make these should be shanghaied, or is it “all in good fun”? Do they make you a little more paranoid to browse the internet?
I’ve fallen for them a few times in high school. I’ve learned to hover my mouse over the image. If it’s a .jpg, you’re golden. If it’s a .gif, use caution.
Now I’m on waaaaaaaay too many creepy-themed websites not to act like a jumpy cat whenever I’m confronted with images.
ETA: Oh, and I’ve also learned to look at the comments section on any “scary” video. The one useful feature of the YouTube comment section.
Since it’s the sound that’s a real problem for me, any image would be OK.
I generally loathe screamers, but there’s one sort-of-pseudo-screamer that I did dig.
It’s a horror comic. A vertically stacked strip. As you scroll down, reading the story, suddenly, it starts scrolling automatically through a couple dozen frames, accompanied by a rattling noise… Scared the crap out of me, but since it’s a horror story, that was a good thing.
The fact that you know it’s horror going in, the rattle is relatively subdued (instead of a high volume noise), and the cleverness of how it was done make me like it.
If you want to check it out, here it is (links broken, just so nobody can stumble by accident):
Back in the heyday I was never tricked by them. I got lucky and my first one I wasn’t paying attention, and then, after that I always looked. It does dawn on me that, if one had happened recently, it would have gotten me. Now the problem is mostly variations on the Rick Roll, and since those aren’t scary, I just don’t really bother checking.
ACK yes this one did get me. I was going to link to it myself, but I didn’t know where to find it and was too lazy to Google it. But yeah, that one is EXTREMELY effective and is actually clever, as opposed to feeling like a cheap trick.
Yeah, happened to me a couple times. Ridiculous. Unforgivable. Anyone who does it should be banned.
Just a question: I’ve never heard of anyone getting banned for this. Why the hell not?* I’d think that’s pretty much a no-brainer when it comes to bannable offenses.
Or at least take the damn videos down. Sheesh, if YouTube can pull a video every time some clown claims to have a copyright…
Yeah, I’ve said about as much about Rickrolling. Still don’t get it.
Youtube is quick to take down certain copyrighted material, but could usually care less about videos that are actually offensive/harmful, even if they’re flagged multiple times. They’re dicks like that.
Once. Many years ago when I was fairly new to this internet thing. I was told I should buy speakers for my computer, so I did. Trouble was I couldn’t tell if they were working or not, not being au fait with things like YouTube (which may not even have existed at the time, come to think)
Anyhoos someone I was chatting to sent me a link to something and told me to turn my speakers up. I was staring at an image of a room - couldn’t see anything out of the ordinary, wasn’t sure if speakers were working, held one up to my ear…
Thankfully not the ear I currently have tinnitus in.
I don’t look, or make sure the speakers are muted before I click on anything these days.
With an adult of the right mindset (one who you know is going to take it in stride, doesn’t mind being pranked, etc.) it can be funny.
Your second link shows a couple of children being scared out of their fucking skulls by some worthless asshole of a parent who thought this would be funny. Makes me want to hit people. :mad:
I belong to a forum where they’ll ban you for posting those.
I think I must have fallen for the very first one I saw so many years ago but now any time I see something saying to stare at an image (find differences, wait for something cool, etc) I turn down my speakers and just wait for Scary Face to pop out. I could always just not click but then I don’t get to feel smugly superior.
Someone tried it on me once maybe ten years ago, the one where you are supposed to see a face while looking in a room… and then the alien face pops up. It got me big time and I thought it was an awesome practical joke. Still do, actually. I forwarded it to some others and they got a laugh as well.
But that’s the only time I’ve ever come across one. The first time is always funny, cute, moving, whatever, you know? Once something starts getting around, even the sweetest viral thingy gets a little annoying.
I finally fell for my first one a few months ago. Avoided it for years. Didn’t even really know people were still doing that shit. It was inside a comic strip, so a more sly delivery than i had heard about oh those many years ago online.
ETA: it could possibly be the one** Tengu** posted. I have no desire to check though
SHIT! Well done. Even though I sort of knew what was going to happen, I was totally lulled by scrolling (by myself, at my own pace) and assuming that there was no animation. Nice.