grapes911 - well that its up to you. Flash can be used in many forms and its great for interactivity and also all that "I hate Flash" I really dont understand that, its just another medium and if you know how to use and use it right you can do pretty neat stuff, etc. if you dont like I respect it. No problem I will have my CSS version as well so whenever its ready you can visit that one.
I guess my comments weren't very constructive. I'll elaborate.
Here are my “Flash Annoyances” (I am not saying to did any of these, I’m speaking more general). While these are not inherent to flash itself, they are common in flash sites and led to the poor stigma of flash.
1.
Flash makes bad design more likely.
a. Flash sites are generally more concerned with looking good than having quality info. Flash intros and unnecessary transitions delay the user’s ability to get what they come for – content.
b. Flash sites have this theory that ‘If we can make something move, then why not do it?’ They never stop and ask ‘What gain does the user get out of that movement?’
c. Some flash sites make you wait a couple of extra seconds to watch redundant animations/transitions every time you click a link.
d. Flash pages are more likely to have sound. It’s just annoying.
e. Flash sites look more like a PowerPoint presentation than a website.
f. Many times designers create two versions of the same site. If you really need two versions, then the designer probably did something wrong or made a wrong choice. Why not integrate the two in to one kick ass site?
2.
Flash doesn’t conform to web standards.
a. The back and forward buttons. They just don’t work well (although Flash MX has made them some what useful). If a user is browsing a Flash site and then hits the back button and it leaves the entire flash site, there is a chance they won’t come back. No one wants to sort though the pages again.
b. Flash developers sometimes create their own nonstandard GUI styles/controls. A user is used to how things look and work. Keep it that way so they don’t get frustrated and leave.
c. Search engines have trouble with flash. We live in a Google driven world. If users cannot easily find the site in at least one of the more popular search engines, then it might as well not exist.
d. The browser’s find/search tool doesn’t usually work.
e. The browser can’t overwrite fonts and sizes. This is terrible for people with poor vision or disabilities.
3.
Flash requires too many resources.
a. Flash typically requires more bandwidth than an HTML site. Many people are still on dialup. The longer the page takes to load, the more people will tend to close the page before they even see it.
b. The resources used for the site could be better used to enhance the content.
c. Many times you can start using an HTML page even if it isn’t finished downloading. This is rare with a flash site.
Before developing something in flash, stop and ask yourself, ‘is this the most effective way to do this or will HTML work?’ HTML is more user friendly. That being said, I love when flash is integrated into a page much like a image. It can be extremely powerful this way.
Please don't take any of this personally. I'm just offering my opinions and experience with website development.
Good work!
