Recently in Flash & Flash Apps Category
If you have experienced rich media on the web, including the likes of fully animated websites, interactive video, or even video chat rooms, then you are experiencing the power of Flash. As many of you know, having a Flash player installed in your browsers will allow you to enjoy these fruits of the net. With Adobe constantly upgrading their software it’s good to have the latest and greatest Flash player installed. The best part of the installation is it’s free! Here are some reasons to upgrade to Flash Player 9 from Adobe:
1. Flash Player 9 builds on improvements from Flash Player 8 to execute content and applications faster. That means quicker downloads of Flash media.
2. Improved security for user’s sensitive data, and URLs to help ensure safer browsing.
3. Improved video compression technology. Bringing the users low-bandwidth and high-bandwidth video quicker downloading times.
4. HD quality web video and audio. Flash Player 9 now includes H.264 standard video support, the same standard deployed in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD high definition video players, and High Efficiency ACC (HE-ACC) audio capabilities.
With Flash installed on over 820 million Internet connected desktops and mobile devices it’s no wonder the upgrades keep coming. Don’t get left behind.
1. Flash Player 9 builds on improvements from Flash Player 8 to execute content and applications faster. That means quicker downloads of Flash media.
2. Improved security for user’s sensitive data, and URLs to help ensure safer browsing.
3. Improved video compression technology. Bringing the users low-bandwidth and high-bandwidth video quicker downloading times.
4. HD quality web video and audio. Flash Player 9 now includes H.264 standard video support, the same standard deployed in Blu-Ray and HD-DVD high definition video players, and High Efficiency ACC (HE-ACC) audio capabilities.
With Flash installed on over 820 million Internet connected desktops and mobile devices it’s no wonder the upgrades keep coming. Don’t get left behind.
Visitors to sites are accustomed to using the browser back/forward arrows for navigation and book marking. We all know that Flash sites do not interact with browsers in this way without a little effort on the developer’s end.
While it is commonplace to use the back/forward arrows to navigate through non-Flash sites, other users prefer to use the actual navigation the site has provided for them. For example, lets say you are searching a fairly large site. While searching you would like to return to a previous section. Using the arrows in your browser can be helpful if you don’t recall the name of the previous sections. Now, if you’re in a Flash site that does not take advantage of browser interactivity you will be at a loss. Clicking the back arrow key in a Flash site will actually take you out of the site completely. This is one main reason why web usability consultant Jakob Nielsen states (in his now seven year old report) that Flash: 99% Bad.
When Nielsen wrote that report, Flash was still growing up. Flash has multiple ways of interacting with browsers now. One of the features is to create an all-Flash site that functions like an HTML site. This means that once you are searching through a large Flash site and use your browser arrow keys, they will function as if you are in an HTML site. Using XML and deep linking, a full Flash site can give a user the ability to bookmark a specific section in the site, instead of just the home page. This can add additional accessibility and usability functionality to your Flash sites that make them user friendly and encourage rather than discourage traffic to your site.
While it is commonplace to use the back/forward arrows to navigate through non-Flash sites, other users prefer to use the actual navigation the site has provided for them. For example, lets say you are searching a fairly large site. While searching you would like to return to a previous section. Using the arrows in your browser can be helpful if you don’t recall the name of the previous sections. Now, if you’re in a Flash site that does not take advantage of browser interactivity you will be at a loss. Clicking the back arrow key in a Flash site will actually take you out of the site completely. This is one main reason why web usability consultant Jakob Nielsen states (in his now seven year old report) that Flash: 99% Bad.
When Nielsen wrote that report, Flash was still growing up. Flash has multiple ways of interacting with browsers now. One of the features is to create an all-Flash site that functions like an HTML site. This means that once you are searching through a large Flash site and use your browser arrow keys, they will function as if you are in an HTML site. Using XML and deep linking, a full Flash site can give a user the ability to bookmark a specific section in the site, instead of just the home page. This can add additional accessibility and usability functionality to your Flash sites that make them user friendly and encourage rather than discourage traffic to your site.
As you know, Flash is the most powerful cross-platform, interactive development tool available to web developers today. You need to use this tool correctly, and I want to point out the three common misuses of Flash.
<strong>Using Flash Intros</strong>
In Flash’s early days, loading times for an introduction animation could be murderous. Even though today many more people have better connections, a Flash intro is still bad practice. When a user comes to your site there is usually a purpose. It is not to sit and watch an intro that is keeping them from obtaining your content. Most Flash intros do have a “Skip Intro” button. Your first time users will have no clue how long your intro will be and most likely will skip it altogether. This defeats the purpose of having an intro in the first place.
<strong>Creating Entire Sites In Flash</strong>
I have seen some extremely impressive Flash sites. And as much as I love Flash, I know it is not right to have an all-Flash site. First off, if you are not using dynamic content in your Flash site you have little to no chance of being seen by search engines. Second, your site should be 508 compliant. Your content needs to be accessible to people that use screen readers. You can’t give up substance for Flash.
<strong>
Animations Just For The Sake Of It</strong>
Gratuitous animations are a huge problem. Using animation just to show off is a terrible use of Flash. It can be distracting to the user, and when used improperly if takes away from the content in the site.
Think twice before using Flash in all the wrong ways.
<strong>Using Flash Intros</strong>
In Flash’s early days, loading times for an introduction animation could be murderous. Even though today many more people have better connections, a Flash intro is still bad practice. When a user comes to your site there is usually a purpose. It is not to sit and watch an intro that is keeping them from obtaining your content. Most Flash intros do have a “Skip Intro” button. Your first time users will have no clue how long your intro will be and most likely will skip it altogether. This defeats the purpose of having an intro in the first place.
<strong>Creating Entire Sites In Flash</strong>
I have seen some extremely impressive Flash sites. And as much as I love Flash, I know it is not right to have an all-Flash site. First off, if you are not using dynamic content in your Flash site you have little to no chance of being seen by search engines. Second, your site should be 508 compliant. Your content needs to be accessible to people that use screen readers. You can’t give up substance for Flash.
<strong>
Animations Just For The Sake Of It</strong>
Gratuitous animations are a huge problem. Using animation just to show off is a terrible use of Flash. It can be distracting to the user, and when used improperly if takes away from the content in the site.
Think twice before using Flash in all the wrong ways.
