Two things I learned this weekend about the Internet

I learned a couple of things about the internet this weekend.

Thing One

Ever go to a random retail Web site, like a dentist’s site or a toothpaste company’s site, and see a “live chat” option and wonder to yourself, “WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND thought it would be a good idea to integrate a PROBABLY never used chat client onto this company’s Web site?”

Like, you can imagine the board room discussion. (“We need our Web page to go viral.” “We need to make sure our board of directors can log in and update their profiles and pictures.” “We need to make sure our customers can chat with us about bagels.”)

King Arthur Flour has one of these chat windows. Doesn’t that sound preposterous? KING ARTHUR FLOUR. They sell FLOUR, you guys.

And people with flour apparently have questions.

Because I walked into the kitchen and saw this on the screen.

Current status: Proven Wrong.

Thing Two

If there’s any sub-genre that seems beyond appropriate for iPad development, it’s fantasy sports – especially fantasy football. The numbers, the sorting, the quick and up-to-date nature of scoring and trash talking. It’s a perfect fit – the larger screen and push updates make it natural.

Yet, it’s been completely ignored.

Outside of a CBS Sports App that begrudgingly adds its fantasy football game to the already difficult to navigate football scores, the only fantasy football apps are iPhone exclusive. Yahoo runs one of the biggest leagues on the Web, and its app is horrible – a lack of information, multiple screens for the same stats, a disaster of UI and design.

You can’t tell me that there’s no money in creating a fantastic fantasy football app. You can’t tell me that entire leagues wouldn’t pledge allegiance to the one company that could do it correctly.

You can’t tell me that I’m the first person who’s asked why fantasy football is long forgotten on the iPad.

Not EVERYONE is a computer dork, right?