Is flash the future for websites?

I must say flash is just to much for me.. nice and all but load time and sometimes can be annoying

I don't really like it, I can't open multiple links in different tabs and of course it loads like a *****.

I hope its not the future and I highly doubt it is really

I would honestly have to say no to this one. I dpn´t believe that Flash in itself is the way to go for the future. But I must say that I DO believe that a dynamic page is the right thing. Dynamic in my meaning can be both the "web 2.0" that is going on right now with alot of user-integration (like digg, technocrati, etc etc) but it can also be dynamic content and layout. I defintily think that user-specific and custom layouts will be part of the future and we have some good examples going on right now (like those pages that offer custom startpages and suc.

Flash will be able to offer some of this as it is, but foremost it will make the transitions be all the better (and nice looking), but AJAX is doing a good job here already, and that's without suffering from flashs incompetibility issues with good seo...

I hate flash. It does have it's uses, there are some very cool flash things out there. Unfortunately most flash things I have seen are abysmal. Loading an entire website in a single flash file is still too common, and using flash to display an image happens all the time, what is the point?

The main thing I hate about flash is the fact that it is not available to everyone. For example, the linux flash player is painfully behind. Screen reader users miss out on the content contained within flash websites.

And why on earth should I be forced to install proprietary software just to view a website because some stupid designer was too stupid to realise that html/css would have done the job a whole lot better? </rant>

Take a look at the best flash works..

websitedesignawards.com/

Flash is the future… especially now that Adobe has its hands over the technology. Flash will soon be able to very easily handle dynamic content and server-side communications needed for commercial websites. Flash is not for dial-up, but then again dial-up is not for the internet anymore. As broadband continues to become more easily accessible, Flash will begin to dominate it's presence on the internet. There is no question about it; it's just a matter of time.

I seriously doubt that. I think we´ll go more into functionality and clearness of design, which, from my experience, can´t be said for flash.

Originally Posted by D.J.

I seriously doubt that. I think we´ll go more into functionality and clearness of design, which, from my experience, can´t be said for flash.

You have obviously not noticed the patterns in the new types of mediums used for communication. Every single one started off as a means to deliver important information, but always has ended up being used for commercial purposes. The internet started of as a form for scientists to share information, way before it became publicly available. Look at it now... it's just another tool for advertising, just like radio and television. Take a look at all the websites used to promote movies, heavily done in Flash. These are big businesses that practically control the media, you think they don’t know what their doing? Businesses will also begin to adopt Flash when its functionality allows it to very easily handle various programming languages and server-side and client-side scripting.

Adobe will take Flash to the next level, it is inevitable…

I agree that Adobe has the power and influence to take macromedias former cashcow to new levels, no doubt. But I still can't see flash as being the standard for the future of Internet. I can however see a more dynamic and smooth intefacedesign with motiongraphics and other heavy-objects in it's form and design. Now, if this will be the flash we know of today or not, I have no idea..

But I just don't like the flash that is around today and I've done my share of flash.

Julius: I Do think that flashplayers are pretty nice though (but for whole webpages, that's still a no)

Originally Posted by Frost

I Do think that flashplayers are pretty nice though (but for whole webpages, that's still a no)

Why is that?

I see your statement, but a solid reason is no where to be found.

Originally Posted by Julius Designs

Why is that?

I see your statement, but a solid reason is no where to be found.

Don't know if you accept this as a reason.. but in my opinion Flash video players gives a whole different approach to the visitors and the number one strength that I preferr flash players to, let's say windows media player is the simplicity and integration. A visitor never have to think about what kind of internet connection he has, he don't have to choose codecs or players, it just works and seems very integrated into the webpage itself - simplicity, gotto love it

(of course flash has downsides too, and I'm not saying I preferr the flash player as a videosoftware en fin, it sucks at editing but for the enduser interface I think it's very slick and allows a more direct way of showing vids)

Flash will only be used as a advertising media (an ad or an advertising minisite). There is no way it will be used for content (CMSs), community or ecommerce sites. It´s just too stiff.
Wake up out of your dream for crying out loud and look at the latest "big booms" - are YouTube, Digg, Facebook (and other sites like big earner´s blogs, big forums, etc.) made in flash? Nope, and they most certainly won´t ever be. They base on something else than just "pretty outside".

I dont mind flash in its place - e.g. the youtube player, small animations etc.

But it drives me mad when sites use it for their entire page! Its also (indirectly) illegal to do this in the UK too (screen-readers cannot read flash sites).

DHTML is great and its getting a bit of a rebirth under the name of AJAX thanks to web2.0 etc, but it is limited. E.g. you cant get sound or any meaningful animation/video with just HTML and Javascript. I just spent the past two days converting a site from a flash application to XHTML+CSS+Javascript...I was able to exactly replicate the site except for some pointless "link clicked" noises and excessive animation , without any loading screens, and actually allowing for blind people to use the site. What I am trying to say is, 99% of the time flash just isn't needed!

I'd argue that the future lays in the direction of the browser canvas, and the new java applet framework they are comming up with (think "lightweight" applets).

Originally Posted by D.J.

Flash will only be used as a advertising media (an ad or an advertising minisite). There is no way it will be used for content (CMSs), community or ecommerce sites. It´s just too stiff.

Adobe is creating the Flash technology for ecommerce websites by incorporating the support of various programming languages. This is the future bro... Flash is the future.

Those websites that you mentioned, are media rich. And in a few years Flash (if it isn't already) will be the primary method of delivering this media.

Flash is not the future. For one, it is proprietary and thus not easily and inexpensively adopted by the common man. As the internet moves into the future, the most important thing is the creation of content by a community and Flash doesn't allow that as easily as common HTML and PHP documents do.

-Nick

When I worked with flash aboard a US designagency it was mostly used to achieve "cool" effects, but it just feels old nowdays. I do however believe that slick, clean websites with integrated motions (motiongraphics/animation/dynamic) layouts are part of the future, but I don't think it will be Flash (as we know it) that will take that crown

Originally Posted by nickohrn

not easily and inexpensively adopted by the common man.

The common man doesn't run the interent.

How many of you guys here are actually successful entrepreneurs? (owning a blog doesn't make you an entrepreneur)

I don't think flash is the future. It annoys me sometimes with load times and some of the sound that people place on flash websites. I have seen some nice sites use it though. http://www.2advanced.com seems to impress me the most with flash designs.

Julius: No the common man doesn't run the internet, but he uses it. In fact he uses it daily and that makes it all the better for us that try and provide content and pages for him to visit. Don't know if the pun was intended to me but I do see myself as fairly successful yes, and I do have alot more going on than just a blog...

Places like Wikipedia won't turn flashable, if they do, then they're idiots.

Flash is more for effects, and I sure won't be making full flash sites even if I knew how (maybe for something like a portfolio, but then again I doubt it, I can't open flash links in tabs with my mousewheel, which sucks)