[thelist] flash accessibility/usability (was: Jakob Nielsen [was Anti-aliasing])

[Ben Dyer]

On 12:42 AM 2/26/2002, .jeff said to me:
>erik,
>
> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
> > From: Erik Mattheis
> >
> > > so, if they can be accomplished, why aren't more
> > > people removing these stumbling blocks to the
> > > usability/accessibility of flash?  answer -- it
> > > takes too much work to discover all the built-in
> > > browser functionality you need to include and then
> > > build programming logic within your flash file to
> > > handle.
> >
> > Agreed. But that doesn't equate to a conclusion that
> > Flash is bad - this is what I'm arguing against -
> > assuming that Flash is inherently bad because it can
> > be difficult to learn how to use and when not to use
> > it.
> ><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
>
>agree 100%.  i wouldn't say that cars are bad because some people have used
>them to kill people.  i wouldn't say that crayons are bad simply because my
>2 year old colored on the kitchen in the house we rent.

Here's the thing.  How can Flash be used today?  Here are the options as I
see it:

1. Complete Flash Site
(Bad for all the reasons already mentioned.)

2. Flash Navigation
(Bad for accessibility.  Having an alternate version makes the Flash
version moot here.)

3. Flash Elements ("We can do a spinning logo or flaming logo.")
(The bulk of Flash's usage and usually pointless.  Done most often to make
clients happy that their logo moves.)

4. Flash Ads
(Which, of course, drive everybody nuts, and if the general public figures
out how to switch "Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins" to "Disable" or
"Prompt", Flash is screwed.)

5. Flash "Extras"
(Probably the best use of Flash.  Games or photo galleries or
whatever.  It's not forced, it's not required, but it provides something
useful and extra that the user can't do otherwise.)

--Ben


Ben Dyer, Senior Internet Developer, Imaginuity Interactive
http://www.imaginuity.com/

     If you save the world too often, it begins to expect it.
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