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The "don't use them" responses to web animations assume that the sole
purpose of a Web page is to disseminate information. That's not
necessarily true. Web sites can entertain, distract, entrance or
otherwise ensnare their users. I've seen Flash animations used (rarely)
for compelling high art and for useful, educational materials.
An example of the latter is at http://www.widomaker.com/~litehous/movie.html, which features a
brilliant series of short animations explaining how a lighthouse is
moved. There is no way a static page could have conveyed as much
information to me in the short time it takes to watch these animations.
Mind you, the creator of these animations also has time for his LEGO
obsession: http://www.widomaker.com/~litehous/Pirate/index.html.
I definitely agree with the various opinions on not having sound,
excluding animations from navigation (unless they're very simple) and
offering low-tech alternatives for the purists among your visitors. But,
if you've got time, and you think there might be some value in the
entertainment or (dare I use the word) infotainment that animation has
to offer, I wouldn't shy away from it. DB.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: bounce-techwr-l-65243 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com
> [mailto:bounce-techwr-l-65243 -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com] On Behalf Of
> bryan -dot- westbrook -at- amd -dot- com
> Sent: 13 March 2002 16:21
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: RE: web animation
>
>
> Don't use them.
>
> Well, maybe for a personal site for practice, but I have yet
> to see them used in a productive manner for anything other
> than an entertainment site. They can be annoying, slow down
> the reader's progress through the site (especially Flash),
> and can cause some serious accessibility problems if you use
> them as part of the navigation.
>
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