Re: XML - If there was any doubt . . .

by "Paul Wilson" <webgooru(at)gte.net>

 Date:  Thu, 28 Jun 2001 11:59:59 -0400
 To:  "Ted Temer" <temer(at)c-zone.net>,
"HWGBASICS" <hwg-basics(at)hwg.org>
 References:  edu localhost
  todo: View Thread, Original
> Here I still think that we have a medium that is so far removed from the
> "standard" web site that we might well be advised to construct a >separate
site for WAP use. There is simply too much difference between >a 2 inch
liquid crystal monochrome screen and a 17-19 inch monitor with >full color
and sound.

YES!  I gotta say when I read what Chris wrote about WAP I really had to
restrain myself.  I thought WAP - SMAP!   All my work is for a medium size
furniture store, sorry, don't think we will be selling too many beds or
dinettes to someone with a 2" B&W screen anytime soon.

WAP technology might have it uses in the business world tracking stocks or
getting an update from the airline on flight times, but for the forseable
future very few of us need be overly concerned about WAP.  I am pretty sure
that ten years from now when we look back, that WAP will be with bean bag
chairs, bubble memory and all the other hyped has-beens that didn't make it
in the marketplace.

Being a web developer is becoming very specialized lately and WAP is
probably another specialized skill that many of us won't need. There are
folks that specialize in flash or other multimedia, some in JavaScript and
Java, others that specialize in CGI or ecommerce.  Some specialize in the
types of websites they do - like Mom & Pop or small or medium business,
others specialize in corporate size websites and use a bevy of developers
and programmers.


What we have been discussing here is the same -type- of thing we were
discussing 2 years ago... standards.  But the discussion has changed from
"what we need now is a more standardization" to "which standard is best for
me."  That's a big improvement.

To be perfectly honest... its getting boring to me.  Whether you serve it up
from a  database or type it in by hand, HTML and XHTML is pretty lame stuff.
Sure you can add some JS or DHTML to liven it up, but its still a pretty two
dimensional flat world out there.

So, where am I going with this?  Is this circular logic and will I find
myself back at the beginning looking at my belly button?  Nope, rather I
think  I have found the secret to the universe!  And the answer is.....
(drum role please)

                                            FLASH!

Wow, has he gone out of his mind?  Not really.  I know, there are a lot of
bad flash sites out there that gave it a bad name, but there are many that
are good too.  Some are so underplayed that you don't know that they are
using flash.

Why is flash so good?

1.  It's more universal than any browser!  Macromedia makes the plug in
which is on over 90% of the computers out there.... thats more acceptance
than any single browser.  Works great on PC's and Mac's as well.  Almost
every new PC that gets sold has Flash installed.

2.  The world does not have to be flat and lifeless!  Buttons that click and
simple motion and sound added to a product page really spice things up.

3.  Color is as perfect as it can get.  We have thousands of combinations of
video cards, operating systems, and monitors out there and color accuracy is
nearly impossible.  With Flash, red is red on my PC and should be on yours.
With Netscape or I.E. that isn't necessarily so.  They both have problems
and need we get into the 256 or 216 color discussion again?

 Since Macromedia built the plug-ins, they controlled how color was viewed
for all versions and platforms.  It maybe isn't Pantone, but the underlying
code is standardized more than anywhere else.  If you don't see the same red
as I do, it's because the settings are different or something is wrong, not
the software.

4.  Sound is easy to add!  What works for Netscape doesn't work for I.E. and
lets not even talk about the Mac here.  I can import just about any kind of
sound into Flash and have it start many ways.

5. Flash's Actionscript can be used to do some real high end stuff.  Whole
websites built strictly from Flash are possible including cool interactive
menus and effects.

6. Flash files can be exported as other things too.  Most of the really
sharp banner ad's are done in Flash.

7.  Flash makes it easy to merchandise.  With web pages it's often hard to
bring someones attention to something you want them to see or read.  After
all they have this whole screenfull of stuff, graphics, buttons, and text.
How do you make them read the important things with HTML?  You can't.  But
you can using FLASH effects.  Sound and motion draw they eye, brings
what -you- want to their attention.

8.  Macromedia's other programs operate very much alike.  They kind of
dovetail together, Dreamweaver and Fireworks are just two that are very
complimentary.

9.  Macromedia isn't MicroSoft.   At least you're not contributing any more
money to the Gates mansion or foundation.

10.  Talented Flash artists make more than the typical developer.

My only concern is that MS will gobble up Macromedia like it has so many
other hot companies in the past.

Ahh well, just thought I would share my idea about this whole thing.  I
think Flash is the real wave of the future.  Not WAP, not XHTML.  Possibly
not even XML.  Flash is here now in a store near you and it does a lot of
things the "standards" don't.

Paul Wilson
webgooru(at)gte.net

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