Flash - To Use Or No To Use?

>still left with browsers who cannot understand Java
Out there in the WWW there are thousands sitesScripts but there are few people who use those
using flash for their needs. But the majority sites arebrowsers these days…but you must keep that in
not in this list. Let's summaries some facts about flashmind.
usage on YOUR web site. After that it's you will haveThe Fifth Fact:
to decide: to use or not to use. There are some factsAs you may notice we used on our web page flash
about Macromedia Flash Technology:header. Why? The reason was simple and that is the
The First Fact:fact number five: flash movies are cashed in special
Sites are look much prettier and professional with thebrowser folder and second time you access it you
flash animation on their pages if animation done bydon't need to wait. Flash movie will be displayed from
professionals. Users sometimes visit sites only to seethe cache folder. Image files are also stored in
flash intro if it's done in some original manner.browser cache and may be reused if you keep the
The Second Fact:file names and path to images the same. But we
Flash Source Scripts cannot be stolen unlike Javaselected flash due to several technical reasons related
Scripts or HTML code. Flash files come in "two"to our needs. So we did it to reduce our page loading
pieces: files with .fla extension are the actual sourcetime. See how confusing it sounds with the third fact I
and .swf files are compiled version of these files. Inmentioned?:-) The problem is that it requires a lot of
browsers you can see only .swf files. Howevertime to download but only for the first time! If you could
I’ve already seen some “swf scanners” .make visitors wait that time then you will benefit from
Those programs let you see the action script codinghaving flash header as it always there and does not
used in flash movie.need to be loaded each time you go to the other
The Third Fact:page.
Flash animation files are slow to download and requireThe Sixth Fact:
flash player plug-in . Regular static graphic requires lessSearch engines do not like flash pages, as it makes
time to download. In a couple of years when thealmost impossible to crawl them. They can not crawl
problem of dial-up connection may be solved and fastlinks on your web page and can not index your
DSL lines will be cheap and available for anyone thiswebsite content if it is in flash. In html you can insert
problem may seem not so serious, but so far we mustflash only as object.
consider this aspect, as not all users are eager to waitAs you may see flash has number of advantages and
for a minute or two to see your flash intro. That's onedisadvantages. No matter what you think about flash
of the main reason flash is not popular on the bigbut it belongs to the future of the Internet. If you cannot
corporate sites (but Yahoo for example displays fastadmit this and stay away then tomorrow you will
loading flash advertisements on their pages)regret you did it. Just consider the flash usage on your
The Fourth Fact:web site. Remember! Be reasonable in design and
Not all browser compatible with flash players. The oldflash usage and you will get good looking website.
versions of MS Explorer and Netscape NavigatorThis article may be reprinted and distributed with no
cannot display flash movies. There is a solutioncharge until the credit line below remains without
however: to use Java Script to check the compatibilitychanges.
of browser and display the static image if the player isThanks for reading.
not available for that browser. Well there is some issue