super hyper content

Rant mode on:

As the web continues to evolve, one would think that getting information would be easier than ever. It seems however that the opposite it becoming true, thanks to the insistence of nearly everyone on the web to code websites almost exclusively in flash.

Let's take my daily web routine as an example. I like to check a lot of game news sites to get all the latest industry info, even the ones I don't like in case they have a juicy tidbit. If I go to gamespy, game-revolution or insert credit, I get my info quick, as these sites use plain ol' text and images (GS can be a bit slow with its flash ads though). Go to IGN, and you must wait forever for its crazy flash enabled main menu to load up. Gamespot has a simiar menu at its top, only instead of loading slow it simply wonks out and never loads properly (though this might just be incompatibility with firefox). Then there's 1up, which is coded almost entirely in flash. I wanted to learn more about the new Robots movie the other day. I found nothing; the entire site, like every other movie site, was done in flash, and provided nothing but trailers, AIM icons and stupid games.

So why do I hate all this heavy flash usage?

1: They run slowly. Most heavy flash sites load up quickly enough, and run fine on my personal machine, but any box with a crappy video card or a modest CPU seems to slow to an absolute crawl. My family's computer is somewhat ancient, but it still manages to run most apps well enough, even games with system specs beyond its own. Try to load a flash site on it, and you can barely navigate through anything. I can understand the necessity of a broadband connection (to a certain extent) to access the web's best features, but someone who can't afford the latest and greatest in tech shouldn't be hindered from enjoying it because site designers insist on making things look "pretty".

2: flash is counterintuitive. Firefox lets you tab browse web sites. Try tabbing a link in a flash site. Doesn't work does it? Try navigating a flash site using the buttons and links they give you. Its generally not very easy. Flash sites even seem to have hindered information itself. They give plenty multimedia, but actual text and facts are hard to come by.

I understand the reason for this trend; the general populous likes pretty pictures, likes to be entertained, rather than do something like read or (god forbid) think a little. But the internet is, more than anything, information, not another form of entertainment like tv or film. Perhaps, rather than cater to what they want (or think they want), the web should try to just keep it simple. A fast, well organized website, with good information and content is far more valuable than something that looks, um, "flashy" but devoid of life. Maybe if we saw more of this, then more people would agree.

End rant.

As always, my rants are truly that; rantings and ravings that come straight out of my head, with little attention to format or structure. They aren't meant to be serious, though maybe you'll find something interesting in them.