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greenamp · Feb 21, 2006, 12:49 PM

I've never really seen the big deal with all those overly obnoxious flash intros on websites. In fact, they all pretty much annoy the living hell outta me and as soon I see the skip link I mash it like crazy.

When is this annoying trend gonna die already?

Dakar · Feb 21, 2006, 12:50 PM

Even if they didn't take 10-30 seconds to load, I would hate them.

turtle777 · Feb 21, 2006, 01:02 PM

Seconded. Hate them. Period.

zwiebel_ · Feb 21, 2006, 01:03 PM

sooo 2000

grayware · Feb 21, 2006, 03:29 PM

Flashturbation.

tooki · Feb 21, 2006, 03:32 PM

Splash screens on websites are something web designers advise against, but clients (stupidly) keep asking for. They seem to think that providing a slow-paced marketing message before letting the customer peruse the wares or services will somehow entice them... :sigh:

tooki

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Feb 21, 2006, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by tooki

Splash screens on websites are something web designers advise against, but clients (stupidly) keep asking for. They seem to think that providing a slow-paced marketing message before letting the customer peruse the wares or services will somehow entice them... :sigh:

tooki

Yup, most of my clients want them, I almost always talk them out of it.

RAILhead · Feb 21, 2006, 03:40 PM

Sometimes searching for the Skip button makes the wait seem shorter.

FireWire · Feb 21, 2006, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by zwiebel_

sooo 2000

You mean like this website?

bradoesch · Feb 21, 2006, 04:20 PM

Any into to a web site bugs me. Stupid Futureshop, blabbering on about some stupid product while you "select your language" for the millionth time.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Feb 21, 2006, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by bradoesch

Any into to a web site bugs me. Stupid Futureshop, blabbering on about some stupid product while you "select your language" for the millionth time.

Well that one makes more sense. Some advertiser pays to be up there and it loads really fast as it is just an image.

Chuckit · Feb 21, 2006, 04:28 PM

I don't generally like Flash elsewhere on a Web site either. I should start a trend of making Web sites entirely out of QuickTime movies.

bradoesch · Feb 21, 2006, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Well that one makes more sense. Some advertiser pays to be up there and it loads really fast as it is just an image.

I agree it makes sense for them, but it's still annoying for me and you.

mdc · Feb 21, 2006, 07:39 PM

i hate it when the designer puts the skip button into the flash animation.

wdlove · Feb 21, 2006, 10:29 PM

They are annoying. I try to ignore them, just another window to close.

EndlessMac · Feb 21, 2006, 11:25 PM

Flash is just way over used on the internet. I got broadband for faster internet browsing but with more sites using flash it now seems like I'm back to 56k dial-up. Flash was a nice internet gimmick when it first can out but now it's as annoying as pop-up ads are.

Apple Pro Underwear · Feb 22, 2006, 08:35 AM

I am attending a Advanced Flash Class here in NYC by a pretty famous designer named "Joshua Davis"

http://www.joshuadavis.com/pound.html

professional, big pimp daddies try to get the word out on how to do a flash site that uses xml — and can get files sizes lower than 20k. loading imagery at your discretion will take longer of course.

i'm not a flash groupie, but i think the technology is evolving. some old sites give it a bad name.

Kevin · Feb 22, 2006, 08:38 AM

Some people do it correctly.

Take http://www.6767.com./

No waiting really, and it's only PART of the page. You can still read context while Flash is doing it's thing.

BLAZE_MkIV · Feb 22, 2006, 10:43 AM

The rest of your site needs to be very well layed out if your not going to vioate the 3 Click Rule.

nredman · Feb 22, 2006, 10:46 AM

i used to think flash intros were the **** but now they are just a pain - i'm sure they will be gone soon - kind of like the blinking text

nredman · Feb 22, 2006, 11:02 AM

i just remembered what i hate more then flash intros - when websites put videos or music in their pages - slows down the load time and can scare you if you have your volume up

Chuckit · Feb 22, 2006, 11:23 AM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Some people do it correctly.

Take http://www.6767.com./

No waiting really, and it's only PART of the page. You can still read context while Flash is doing it's thing.

It still adds nothing to the site, but at least it avoids most of the active awfulness of Flash.

JoshKurtz · Feb 22, 2006, 12:59 PM

You can use "Flash click to view" to block them if you use firefox.

ambush · Feb 22, 2006, 01:42 PM

flash intros are so last 2000-2001-2002-2003

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Feb 22, 2006, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by ambush

flash intros are so last 2000-2001-2002-2003

You forgot 1999.

Adam Betts · Feb 22, 2006, 02:42 PM

It's not just flash intro, there's so many wrongs with flash even though if they're used correctly. They're performance hog, your progression will be lost if you reload the page, can't copy most texts to clipboard, can't scroll with mouse scroll whell, etc etc.

nerd · Feb 22, 2006, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Kevin

Some people do it correctly.

Take http://www.6767.com./

No waiting really, and it's only PART of the page. You can still read context while Flash is doing it's thing.

That page just sent me into A.D.D. when I was trying to read it. All the flashes in the Flash kept making me loose my attention to the text.

euchomai · Feb 22, 2006, 02:51 PM

Originally Posted by nerd

That page just sent me into A.D.D. when I was trying to read it. All the flashes in the Flash kept making me loose my attention to the text.

I was thinking the same thing. The top bar kept flashing to get my attention, I ended up not comprehending anything I read. It looked cool though, form over function seems to be the way to do things anymore.

MaxPower · Feb 22, 2006, 03:57 PM

For every 1000 designers that fight the good fight and steer their clients away from such frivolity, there is one or two that use their powers for true evil.

And who could forget Megacar

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Feb 22, 2006, 04:05 PM

Originally Posted by MaxPower

And who could forget Megacar

Holy crap what is up with that voice? I remember there was a site that catered just to selling that shitty Monster truck voice for your website. Megacar was so bad just now when I looked at it I wanted to write them to ask if it was a joke, then I saw it was german and it all became clear.

Anywho on that note, i remember when I was in design school back in 98 someone came into class all excited because they found this site:
http://www.eye4u.com
The site is the same as it was 8 years ago! Also german strangely enough.

It blew everyone in my class away except for me and this other dude. Interestingly enough we were the 2 with the highest grades.

Remember that gabbo corp site that was done by some 18 year old mexican kid or something?
That inspired a ton of people to put spinning circles on their site.

andi*pandi · Feb 22, 2006, 04:07 PM

ok, I've only just learned flash. (yes yes, I know, welcome to 2000.) I'd like it to be a marketable skill, and work has recently had some demand for it, so I hope it will be worthwhile. Name some legitimate uses of flash that would add value to a website or be marketable. Not all of us get to design movie promotion sites.

so far,

1) advertising. We've recreated some of our ad banners/towers and made them take up less bandwidth and look nicer.

2) video players. www.nejm.org now has video for subscribers, it uses flash.

what else?

volcano · Feb 22, 2006, 04:13 PM

Flash intros with flying text and cheesy fade ins/fade outs are outdated and annoying.

But, if used tastefully and sparingly, Flash can actually enrich the users experience and add a new dimension and element to a variety of sites. They're not the performance hogs they used to be - Flash files are actually quite small if the developer knows what/he she is doing. If they implement dynamic text into the file, then users can copy text as he/she pleases.

I'm not the Flash messiah or anything, but just to defend it - Flash gets a bad reputation because of bad developers who don't know what they're doing.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Feb 22, 2006, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by volcano

I'm not the Flash messiah or anything, but just to defend it - Flash gets a bad reputation because of bad developers who don't know what they're doing.

Flash is a good technology no doubt, but like you said almost nobody knows how to use it correctly. It is sad that 8 years later this is still the case.

turtle777 · Feb 22, 2006, 04:29 PM

Originally Posted by andi*pandi

1) advertising. We've recreated some of our ad banners/towers and made them take up less bandwidth and look nicer.

And made them Eleventy Billion times more annoing. Thanks, dude

BlueSky · Feb 22, 2006, 04:56 PM

Originally Posted by MaxPower

For every 1000 designers that fight the good fight and steer their clients away from such frivolity, there is one or two that use their powers for true evil.

Heh. That must be the Litha Lithp Model. "Grow your bithness". "Vithit your webthite".

When she's done thpeaking, her eyeth follow your curthor.

Apple Pro Underwear · Feb 22, 2006, 08:14 PM

Originally Posted by Adam Betts

It's not just flash intro, there's so many wrongs with flash even though if they're used correctly. They're performance hog, your progression will be lost if you reload the page, can't copy most texts to clipboard, can't scroll with mouse scroll whell, etc etc.

flash is a tool. if the tool doesn't fit, then — don't use it.

CNN = not good with Flash

Portfolio Website = good with Flash

Also, using one web technology does not preclude you from all others. don't blame the program, blame the designers.

mania · Feb 22, 2006, 08:30 PM

So yeah here I am just happily listening to iTunes and then some %@!*& had to use flash with music on the site I need to get contact info from - BURN IN H3LL!

Did i convey enough hate in my post? Not sure how to add more. I simply refuse to do it any more and just tell them to get another designer. No amount of money is worth the pain.

NYCFarmboy · Feb 22, 2006, 09:02 PM

I've never seen any flash intro that didn't annoy me.

If I wanted to watch a T.V. commercial I'd turn on the T.V.

If I'm going to a website I want information and don't want to be delayed by an ad.

If I come across a website that has a flash intro I just click it closed and look elsewhere.

Whoever developed flash intros should be taken out and beaten.

wobbly · Feb 22, 2006, 09:46 PM

Firefox + adblock + *.swf* ...never see them again. Never found a page worth visiting that didn't work with all flash blocked via adblock

greenamp · 01:59 AM

Flash is done right when it's barely noticeable. And that is why designing websites with flash is so damned hard.

On a side note, what really bugs me about a lot of web design is that too many website authors are pros at various coding languages and are sharp with programs like Photoshop/Flash/Dreamweaver, but lack basic design and typographical skills. Nothing annoys me more than a shiny website with flashy buttons and sub headings containing text that is not kerned.

Of course, poor kerning just generally bugs me anyway. Every time I eat at Zaxby's I spend the entire time staring at their logo wondering why the hell they didn't figure out a better way to solve the A-X issues.. And I come to the same conclusion every time: "If I ever had to do a Text Logo containing the word Zaxby's, I would shoot myself before ever putting the damned thing in all caps on a curved path."

And i think I just derailed my own thread, but hopefully not.

Kevin · Feb 23, 2006, 02:53 AM

Originally Posted by Chuckit

It still adds nothing to the site, but at least it avoids most of the active awfulness of Flash.

Yeah other than eye candy.. no other usefulness.

Originally Posted by nerd

That page just sent me into A.D.D. when I was trying to read it. All the flashes in the Flash kept making me loose my attention to the text.

Eh, I have ADD and it doesn't bother me.

Maybe the fact I do, is why it doesn't bother me.

andi*pandi · Feb 23, 2006, 10:49 AM

what bothers me more about the zaxby's logo is the dumb quote. Shows it was done in a windows shop, or by someone who doesn't know the difference.

turtle777 · Feb 23, 2006, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by greenamp

FEvery time I eat at Zaxby's I spend the entire time staring at their logo wondering why the hell they didn't figure out a better way to solve the A-X issues..

Looks like done in Word with WordArt