Dark Patterns

Dark Patterns is a neal.fun game where it shows you the dark patterns of the internet along with interactable examples so you don't fall for them again.

## Dark Pattern 1

Dark Pattern 1 or Sneak into Basket is the first dark corner that shows up and it's often used to get you to buy extra and unnecessary items without your knowledge, it works by sneakily adding items to your shopping cart right before your purchase.

### Interacable 1

The interacable shows a box labeled "Shady Store" with three items named "Cool item", "Awesome Item" and "Ok item" with the word buy below. When you click buy, it takes you to your cart with 7 items listed in the following order: The item you actually want, item warrenty, then followed by 5 items all named unrelated item.

## Dark Pattern 2

Dark Pattern 2 or Confirmshaming is when websites make the "No" option something terrible to guilt you into saying "Yes" instead. This technique is most used in blogs and news sites to get you to subscribe to their newsletters.

### Interacable 2

This interacable is a box that says "Do you want to sign up for our amazing newsletter?" with a big text box highlighted red that says "Yes!". Below that is smaller text thatis underlinedand gray, reading "No,i hate amazing content."I f you click the "Yes!" box, it will replace all the text that says "Thanks! Prepare for a newsletter every hour of every day!" . If you instead click the grey text, it will cycle through other text shaming you.

## Dark Pattern 3

Dark Pattern 3 or Fake Friend Request is that this technique is used to trick you into sending more friend requests. They do this by sending you fake friend requests, and when you accept them you're actually sending a friend request instead. It's social media's way of influencing who you connect with.

### Interacable 3

The third interacable shows friend request from three different people named: Tom Tomson, Jim Jimson, and Ann Annson. all have a red box below them saying accept. if you click accept, it will instead show a box saying "Got you! You just sent a friend request"

## Dark Pattern 4

Dark Pattern 4 or Fake Notifications is that when some social medias want you to get in the habit of checking your notifications, and so some sites will send you fake notifications. These notifications are not relevant to you but get you into the habit of checking the notifications.

### Interacable 4

The interacable shows a infinate amount of pop ups that will load below when you scroll making it forever. all of the pop ups say things that try to make you click on them.

## Dark Pattern 5

Dark Pattern 5 or Segmented Email List is when companies will often segment their email lists into different some groups. Then a shady looking company will use this to force you to unsubscribe from each individual group instead of from the email list as a whole.

### Interacable 5

The interacable shows text at the top saying "Click the email lists you want to unsubscribe from. You're too lazy to click them all!" with 12 items listed email list #1 - #12 and a bottom at the bottom saying "Unsubscribe". If you click the Unsubscribe button it will uncheck all of the email list you clicked on.

## Dark Pattern 6

Dark Pattern 6 or Share The Article is that sometimes some really desperate sites will make you share the article before you can finish it. It's a lame attempt at going viral and the article is always really low quality.

### Interacable 6

The interacable shows text saying "7 Reasons Listicles Suck!" and below saying 1. No supporting data, 2. They're made in 5 minutes, 3. They steal content; at the bottom it has a box saying "Share this article to read the rest!". if you click on it, it will show items 4-7 all saying They're lazy. then 1-2 seconds later a pop up at the top appears saying "Message from Grandma: What is a listicle honey?"

## Dark Pattern 7

Dark Pattern 7 or Desperate Friend Request is that some social media websites will send a desperate-sounding friend request to you. Social media sites are more valuable when they are highly connected, and so some go too far to make that happen.

### Interacable 7

The interacable shows text saying Tom Tomson and below theres a box saying Send friend request. if you click the box it will show text saying Message sent! with showing the message saying "Hello Tom, PLEASE ADD ME AS A FRIEND IMMEDIATELY. I REALLY NEED THIS. I'M NOTHING WITHOUT YOU. Thanks for you time."

## Dark Pattern 8

Dark Pattern 8 or UI Switcheroo is when you are used to the UI, some websites will switch it up so you pick the wrong option and this is usually done to make you accept something by mistake.

## Dark Pattern 9

Dark Pattern 9 or Agree and... is that some sites require you to agree to a TOS after signing up, so people often check the agree box without reading it. Sites know this, and so some will use the agree button to include signing up for a newsletter and other pretty weird and shady things.

## Dark Pattern 10

Dark Pattern 10 or Contacts Spam is when some sites will gain the ability to message your contacts after signing up (social media contacts and/or email contacts). They will use this a lot by messaging everyone in your contacts list without your knowledge.

## Dark Pattern 11

Dark Pattern 11 or Download ads is the oldest one here when a shady website will disguise a download button so it looks safe but it actuality it will download a virus most of the time.