re: Options was RE: web safe background

 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Date: Fri, 30 Mar 2001 11:24:38 -0500
From: "Buddy Harris" <bharris(at)stny.rr.com>
Subject: Re: web safe background
 > <snip>
 > Perhaps this will allow us to step back from our toys and reevaluate the
WWW
 > for what it was supposed to be...
 > </snip>

Boy! is that hitting home at this moment!
I'm working on a site...    ...I have to sit and wait through a loooong=20
flash presentation
about how wonderful the product is. If I were shopping, I would hit the stop
button and find another place to do my shopping.
(My 2=A2 worth), Buddy
 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>


Hello, Buddy and all - I'm enjoying the conversation and have a thought or=
=20
two to throw out....

How many feel that Buddy's experience above (the forced flash) is not the=20
fault of "Flash" per se but rather ill-thought design of the site? That's=20
my feelings on this type of site design - I blame the designer for not=20
implementing an alternative route for me to browse. Honestly, if a=20
"presentation" doesn't take *forever* to load, I will probably check it out=
=20
- at least the first time I'm at the site. But, if content that I find=20
useful/interesting is stuck behind that same presentation and I have *no*=20
way to cruise past it, I will quickly move on to some other site. (I do=20
sympathize w/ you Buddy as you *have* to sit through it....) I wonder if=20
this couldn't easily have been avoided by providing another means to link=20
to the area that Buddy needs to get to (or, if it's stuck *in* the flash=20
file, supplying the info in another area of the site)

As for useful or not, I think that it's great for sites to offer *both* a=20
"rich" browsing route and a more no-frills avenue - the choice should=20
certainly always be up the site visitor. Depending on the type of site=20
(genre/content/target market/etc.), there's definitely room to skew more=20
one way or another (basic/fancy) but it should be just as easy to browse=20
the site using either method. Additionally, I think that the site should=20
strive to deliver the same level of *content* regardless of the way the=20
visitor sees the site - don't bury important info in flash that isn't=20
elsewhere on the site, too.

Relating to this thread, I smiled when I read Bevin's words: " internet=20
users of tomorrow are going to be us gen-xers who grew up on=20
nintendo..."  I smiled because I'm at an age that I can still appreciate=20
*exactly* what he's saying!

I also smiled when I read Dennis' words: "You will be forever frustrated=20
because life will always disappoint you."  I smiled because I'm at an age=20
that I can appreciate *exactly* what he's saying, too!!! :-)

In any case, echoing Paul Villano's sentiments, I think it's cool to give=20
site visitors the choice to browse the way they *want* to browse. To me,=20
it's sort of like this....I may not listen to the stereo in my car *every*=
=20
time I'm driving but, when I want to listen to tunes, I'm *really* glad=20
that it's there!!! So be it with flash and other goodies - as long as it=20
doesn't interfere with my browsing and *content* experience if I choose to=
=20
ignore it, I really don't mind that the site offers it as an option.

O.k. - enough chit-chat, back to work for me......


John Ramsey

www.pinnidesigns.com
jr(at)pinnidesigns.com

HWG hwg-techniques mailing list archives, maintained by Webmasters @ IWA