Flashy Gimmicks (Flash vs HTML in webdesign)

Member Name: ILoveJackDaniels

Product:	Flash vs HTML in webdesign
Date:	18/06/01 (320 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks fantastic, Fast, Easy to use

Disadvantages: Easy to overuse, Some people can't view it

As a web site designer, I get asked all the time whether or not Flash has a place on the internet and whether it is better or worse than HTML. It is neither, and that is it's beauty.

Flash by itself is a very useful tool, and can be used to create spectacular effects and web sites (www.themummy.com is a fine example), as well as stand-alone web movies (www.stardudes.com has flash re-creations of the Star Wars saga - well worth a look).

However it's real strength lies in it's ability to add interactivity and effects to regular websites, and with more speed than JavaScript and the dreaded Java Applets.

Flash is best used in conjunction with HTMl, especially where navigation is concerned. It is fast, looks amazing and can easily be used to make you site stand out from the rest. Be careful how you use it however, and remember that not everyone can view Flash.

This is its only disadvantage. For example, a friend of mine at university wanted to see one of my websites. On logging on, he found that he needed Flash to view it properly - and his university computer folk will not allow him to install it.

I have lost one viewer. This is not the end of the World, because this was just a hobby site. If this had been a site on which I was selling something, that might have been someone looking to place an order and I would have lost business because of my use of Flash.

This is why it should be used in conjunction with HTML and not as an alternative. It has a million uses, and for now should be used with caution. However, the internet changes daily, and who knows what could happen tomorrow?

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