I am old enough to remember a time when you could watch TV programs without seeing a constant stream of overlaid promotional graphics at the bottom of the screen. How primitive we were!
If Cisco Webex is any indication, we can now expect that same kind of visual clutter and distraction in our web collaboration software.
Take a look at this screenshot I snapped from a web conference I set up in Webex Meetings. It is an attendee view of a presenter sharing his computer screen. This is a common way for presenters to show slides, web pages, or software applications. You can click on the image to see it full size in a second tab:
What is that semi-transparent circle at the lower right of the image area? It's not on my presenter's computer screen. Oh, it's a watermark image of the latest Webex green and blue circle logo. Stuck right there on top of my content. If I'm showing carefully designed slides, the audience sees them with that overlay. If I'm showing a demo of my software, it shows up with the Webex logo in the corner.
This is simply unacceptable. The display of user content must be sacred. The vendor does not get to place their branding on top of mine.
Just add this to my list of "How Cisco Ruined Webex Meetings" and "Even More Webex Frustrations." I sometimes feel like the UI design engineers are having a competition to see how annoying they can make their product interface.
Thus endeth today's rant.
