Flash

Free Flash and graphics that I do like

July 11, 2009 by kathi

I know I have ranted in the past about free Flash website introductions and the so-called webmasters who think these non-unique creations are making their websites better. That does not mean I am against all free stuff, though.

If you can customize it enough to make it your own without violating someone else’s intellectual property rights, I’m fine with it. If you are trying to get started learning by analyzing someone else’s work, I’m fine with it if they are.

FlashDen, along with the other Envato Marketplace sites, is now offering a free file of the month. July’s file is a nice photo gallery with quite a few customization options. I am a fan of FlashDen in general. As someone who is very weak in Flash but who needs to use it for projects now and then, I really appreciate having a good source of affordable and customizable Flash files like FlashDen. Not every file is a master work, but the buyer ratings and comments help in selecting something that is worth the price.

I also try to remember to log in to iStockPhoto weekly to grab the Free Image of the Week. It’s not always something I can use right away, or maybe ever, but I’ve definitely grabbed a few images that fit into themes that will come up in time. Again, I am a fan of the site for its reasonably priced royalty-free stock photography. I am not a great photographer, so when I can’t provide my own photo illustration for a project, it’s good to have an affordable source with quality images to choose from.

Some free stuff is definitely worth a lot more than the asking price!

Quick Rottweiler update: Freya is now in the stopped-up phase of her current IBS digestive upset episode. I always worry about a blockage at this point, even if she seems like she is feeling better. She is usually back to normal about 24 hours after the stopped-up phase so hopefully I can stop worrying tomorrow evening. Axel has some tummy troubles of his own today, but probably related to either grazing (most all of our dogs have been like black and tan cows and I wish I knew what kind of grass might taste bad to Rottweilers) or heat. Since we have had almost no actual warmth this summer, the heat seems to be affecting both dogs a little quicker than usual.

Quick jagoff update: Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, but a few jagoffs still have firecrackers left over from last weekend. Guess where I would like to shove those firecrackers (hint: like Butt Rocket, only with higher-powered explosives).

(NaBloPoMo | July ’09: 11 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 168 of 274)

So tell me, web sorta-designer person…

May 28, 2009 by kathi

Why exactly do you use a free Flash intro on your website?

Maybe you think that I shouldn’t be asking this, since I’ve already admitted in earlier blog posts that I am a crappy web designer despite being responsible for the care and feeding of a few websites, and that Flash has kicked my ass hard on quite a few occasions.

I still want to hear your answer, though, Mr. or Ms. Web Sorta-Wanna-Be-A-Designer Person. I want to know why you think it is good to have some other company’s or designer’s name plastered all over the first thing that viewers to your site will see. Unless you took it off, which makes you the big giant scumbag in most cases when it comes to “free” stuff.

What exactly does a free Flash intro add to your website? The customization options on almost all of them are very minimal. Dozens of other people are using the same one, because it is free. How does it make you unique? No one thinks you did it yourself, either. Plus some of us are simply annoyed by it. I really want to know how it adds value to your website.

I actually like good Flash navigation, movies, games and occasionally even gratuitous eye candy, when it’s original and executed well. Emphasis on “good” and “original.” But I truly am clueless about the free and unoriginal stuff that’s just slapped on for no good reason I can see.

(NaBloPoMo | May ‘09: 28 of 31 | 75% Challenge: 124 of 274)

Forced to grow (3 of 30/69 of 274)

April 3, 2009 by kathi

Sometimes we seek out opportunities for growth, and embrace newfound knowledge gained with open arms. And sometimes we are dragged kicking and screaming toward growth opportunities we aren’t sure we want to take on. That latter scenario would describe me, the reluctant webmaster-by-default, attempting to learn just enough Flash and Javascript to update our company website.

Our company had a small web design and production department during the dot-com boom years. We have long since returned to our original print production roots, and like many other small businesses, we’ve been through some lean times lately. We’re hanging in there, though.

Unfortunately, that left me as the person most likely to be able to update the website, and one of my business partners as the person most likely to be able to design something presentable. He has actual design credentials and experience from his life before our company. I have zero credentials of any sort in web design or production.

The requirements for our design would be minimal for someone who had even a small clue about Flash. It was a little more painful for me, but I finally managed to finish our simple little gallery. I have had a major mental block about learning Flash. I’m usually a pretty quick study when learning new programs, and I’m pretty familiar with many other Adobe and Macromedia programs. Even with the help of well-regarded books and online tutorials, Flash has been kicking my ass. Hard.

The conditions weren’t really optimal for making this a great learning experience. The website redesign wasn’t of the highest priority, so there were many interruptions for other projects, and I found my train of thought getting derailed quite often. Even though the website update is just about ready to go live, and I have no real need to go near Flash again until a future redesign, I’d still like to be able to go back and make a better effort to learn the program. Why, I’m not sure, as I’m definitely not an advocate of Flash-heavy websites. I think I just want to say that I finally defeated Flash!