Search engines indexing flash sites

[samwich]

Saw this article today, and thought it was interesting, as I have read a lot of people griping about how flash sites don't get indexed as well.

http://theflashblog.com/?p=407

-Sam

 

[Me1000]

This sucks!
There is NO reason at all to make a site totally in Flash!

eww look! The water droplets follow my cursor around!

Flash has its purpose (media, games, and animation, actionscript makes things very powerful, but dont make the whole thing in flash!

Open standards FTW!

 

[cromwell64]

This sucks!
There is NO reason at all to make a site totally in Flash!

eww look! The water droplets follow my cursor around!

Flash has its purpose (media, games, and animation, actionscript makes things very powerful, but dont make the whole thing in flash!

Open standards FTW!

How can this suck? This has nothing to do with making a site completely in flash, it just means that content that is in a flash file can now be indexed by search engines. Sometimes people have a good reason for using flash and it can only be a good thing that this content is now being indexed. Just because flash gets abused by a lot of people that don't know what they are doing does not mean that it is terrible technology. I hate the way a lot of people are using javascript, but I don't think javascript is terrible. I just think there are a lot of terrible "developers" that don't know how to use the tools correctly.

Once again, indexing content in a SWF does not mean that suddenly everyone will be making their entire sites with flash.

 

[Me1000]

It sucks because the only reason I can think of that would require you to index a SWF would be if there were some content that was required for the actual viewing experience. In which case they are supporting proprietary technology, and encouraging use of a technology that is difficult (if not impossible) to view if you dont have the flash plugin or if you require the assistance of screen reader per say.

when i can index media files (audio and video), or when I get image recognition where google can see and understand what that animation object is then ill get excited.

Right now All I see is just one more excuse for people to make make 99% flash websites with complete disregard for standards and those with special needs.

 

[Malfoy]

So you'll oppose a technology for the sole reason that the makers won't let you see how it works? Feel entitled much?

 

[Me1000]

So you'll oppose a technology for the sole reason that the makers won't let you see how it works? Feel entitled much?

When there are open options like XHTML, CSS, and Javascript yeah!
Im sorry but creating a website 100% in flash which is hardly accessible to users with special needs is just stupid! Like I said the only real need for flash is for media!

 

[cromwell64]

When there are open options like XHTML, CSS, and Javascript yeah!
Im sorry but creating a website 100% in flash which is hardly accessible to users with special needs is just stupid! Like I said the only real need for flash is for media!

I'm sorry, but once again I have to point out that this has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with making websites that are 100% flash. I also should point out that most people writing XHTML, CSS, and Javascript do so in a completely inaccessible way. So using your argument we should also oppose sites written completely in these technologies also.

 

[Me1000]

I'm sorry, but once again I have to point out that this has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with making websites that are 100% flash. I also should point out that most people writing XHTML, CSS, and Javascript do so in a completely inaccessible way. So using your argument we should also oppose sites written completely in these technologies also.

no, because you CAN make sites written in standards accessible, accessible flash is basically an oxymoron. I know you are saying this doesnt have anything to do with sites being done 100% in flash, but there are only a very few number of times in which indexing a flash file is ever needed. 99.9% of those times will be for website done entirely in flash. the other .1% will be for things that can probably be done in standards anyway.

I point out this is what the OP said,

s I have read a lot of people griping about how flash sites don't get indexed as well.

I use flash for my own websites when I have to, simple animations, and media. That is all! Neither of those things impact the usability of the site for those with special needs. Neither of those things require indexing either. I look forward to the day when I dont need flash at all, slowly I am able to transition some of my flash animations over to javascript as frameworks are developed more extensively. I hope that media support will be more prominent when HTML 5 is ratified, or when XHTML integrates that into that spec.

Supporting a proprietary technology is counter intuitive.