LoveAngel Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 Hi all, I wanted to get some feedback from everyone who regularly visits the site re: the usage of Flash animations on the new site. How does everyone feel about them? Are they distracting? Do they take too long to load? Does anyone have any experiences with Flash that they'd like to share? I'd like to get an idea of what opinions you might have about them. Warm wishes, LoveAngel Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 You didn't say in what context these animations would be presented. If they are part of the intro to the site, there should be a prompt for people who want to bypass the flash animations. Some people have slow internet connections and these would take a long time to load. The ability to bypass this loading would be very convenient. To be honest, I have seen only a few sites where the flash intro was clever enough to waste my time looking at. Flash animation for its sake alone is better left off of a site. But I have also seen some extremely dymanic and clever animation with music that made me come back to the site just to see it again. Excellent flash animations with sound can be dynamic and add a lot of class to a site. But they should be not more than 15 or 20 seconds in duration...and, as stated above, bypassable. If they are small, moving animations within the site, I don't think they would add or detract. Animations just to be cute can sometimes be irritating. Some small but meaningful animation would be great. But for people who visit often, they would get older, tiring, and we'd have a tendency to suggest they be changed...which could get expensive. Occasional visitors are here for a supreme purpose and animation will not phase them one way or another. I guess the bottom line is, unless you feel strongly about putting up flash animation, save your money. Most people here feel, aside from the rare pop-up advertisements and the red to the left and right of the posts, that the LoveShack site is the cleanest, most easily untilized site of its kind on the net. Any changes you contemplate ought to keep ease of use in mind. That's what makes LoveShack so great. Now, while you're on the subject, I was very excited to see the Christmas lights on the opening pages of the site this afternoon...but I thought you should have made the tiny lights go on and off...like they do on some trees...and I expected you to be singing Christmas carols while we were posting. Maybe you could get that ready for tomorrow??? Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 It might be wise to leave music off any contemplated animation or other changes to the site. People often access the site at home or in their office. Music or other sounds coming from the site may interfere with the desire of the person accessing to have absolute privacy while they are entering and using the site. If they forget to turn their speakers off, that privacy is suddenly compromised. That's my own opinion, I may be wrong. I'm sure many others will have their own ideas about this. It would be nice if you could clarify exactly what you have in mind and where on the site you intend to place it. I know we are all looking forward to the changes you are in the process of making. Link to post Share on other sites
Paulie Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 In short, Agree with Tony. For people like me that come by here often, a flash intro would be cool the 1st couple of times, but would get pretty darn tiresome after that. The ability to bypass it would be convenient for frequent users of the site. LOVE, Paulie (I always love to sign my posts to LOVEANGEL "LOVE," Paulie) 'cause that's what this site is all about, which is a wonderful thing!!! LOL Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 (I always love to sign my posts to LOVEANGEL "LOVE," Paulie) 'cause that's what this site is all about, which is a wonderful thing!!! LOL Yeah, Paulie...right after you've returned from a night of hard clubbin' and you were markedly successful at it. Hey, I'm happy for you!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Author LoveAngel Posted December 3, 2000 Author Share Posted December 3, 2000 Tony, It might be wise to leave music off any contemplated animation or other changes to the site. People often access the site at home or in their office. Music or other sounds coming from the site may interfere with the desire of the person accessing to have absolute privacy while they are entering and using the site. If they forget to turn their speakers off, that privacy is suddenly compromised. That's my own opinion, I may be wrong. I'm sure many others will have their own ideas about this. It would be nice if you could clarify exactly what you have in mind and where on the site you intend to place it. I know we are all looking forward to the changes you are in the process of making. Thanks for the response! A number of things: Any Flash or other medium used on the site where a plugin would be required should theoretically have a non-plugin counterpart. I'll make sure that as often as possible, that is the case. (Certain things like the chat java client would be almost impossible to emulate with html). I don't have any specifics in mind as of yet, but I was toying with the program and thought that it might be something that could be creatively placed on the site. I wouldn't want it to be anything that draws attention to itself and away from the content of the site, which will be the focus of the new design. Sounds are a big no no here, for precisely the reasons you mentioned. This site involves a lot of private feelings and moments, and I would not want to draw attention to the computers of anyone visiting it (which is why I feel the red goo all over the place here needs to go). My impression, if it were used, would be to have some sort of animated logo. Yours, LoveAngel Link to post Share on other sites
sparkle Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 things like the chat java client would be almost impossible to emulate with html). I don't have Hello LoveAngel, A java/similar type chat on the webpage would be a great idea, for those that do not have IRC. Is that what you mean? I've seen it on other sites, where you don't need to download a program like IRC, but instead just use a chat window in the browser. Link to post Share on other sites
Tony T Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 The site already has a java based chat solution for those who do not have or wish to download IRC. I think what LoveAngel is talking about is other animation around the site for enhancement purposes. Link to post Share on other sites
Mcgyver Posted December 3, 2000 Share Posted December 3, 2000 I am a webmaster and i'll tell you this right now you have 8 seconds to let them know what your site is about before they leave that includes loading the page if they get a flash front page there they will most likly leave because they dont wnat to spend the time. another thing is when people go to these places they dont want anyone to know there here and want to go in and out as soon as possible. Mcgyver, Tony, Thanks for the response! A number of things: Any Flash or other medium used on the site where a plugin would be required should theoretically have a non-plugin counterpart. I'll make sure that as often as possible, that is the case. (Certain things like the chat java client would be almost impossible to emulate with html). I don't have any specifics in mind as of yet, but I was toying with the program and thought that it might be something that could be creatively placed on the site. I wouldn't want it to be anything that draws attention to itself and away from the content of the site, which will be the focus of the new design. Sounds are a big no no here, for precisely the reasons you mentioned. This site involves a lot of private feelings and moments, and I would not want to draw attention to the computers of anyone visiting it (which is why I feel the red goo all over the place here needs to go). My impression, if it were used, would be to have some sort of animated logo. Yours, LoveAngel Link to post Share on other sites
sparkle Posted December 4, 2000 Share Posted December 4, 2000 Thanks Tony I learn something new every day! Link to post Share on other sites
Deejette Posted December 4, 2000 Share Posted December 4, 2000 As a webmistress, I remember the days when dancing tasmanian devils holding beercans and lots of other cutesy animation was put up just because "we could." As with any new bells and whistles, everyone wants to try them because it's fun. But I find practically all animation, flashing, blinking, etc, annoying. As Paulie notes, it's cute for the first few times and gets old fast. Good design always has simplicity at its base and great webpages download quickly to fulfill the user's primary quest: Information. I am a webmaster and i'll tell you this right now you have 8 seconds to let them know what your site is about before they leave that includes loading the page if they get a flash front page there they will most likly leave because they dont wnat to spend the time. another thing is when people go to these places they dont want anyone to know there here and want to go in and out as soon as possible. Mcgyver, Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts