Forum Home
Press F1
 
Thread ID: 24658 2002-09-16 02:37:00 flash on websites okay or not? denise (1155) Press F1
Post ID Timestamp Content User
79887 2002-09-16 02:37:00 Is it true that some search engines won't pick up your site if you have Flash files on your site? denise (1155)
79888 2002-09-16 03:20:00 Never heard of that. More likely some browsers won't display it and/or make it slow downloading like pouring out cold sticky porridge. mark c (247)
79889 2002-09-16 03:40:00 Unlikely. Frames can cause problems for search engines, but I've never heard of problems with Flash. If I could design flash, I'd use it :)

Mike.
Mike (15)
79890 2002-09-16 04:31:00 Flash is bloody annoying, any animation is annoying. I dont use the internet for entertainment, I want info. If I want entertainment I go to the movies or watch TV or whatever. Animation is a gimmick that designers like to use to show how clever they are. Waste of good time.

Panda
panda (1055)
79891 2002-09-16 04:41:00 I'd tend to agree...
A page of text is worth a thousand pictures. (Is that how the saying goes? :D)
I have heard of flash causing problems, but I've never designed in it before so don't quote me. I think maybe the engines can't scan the pages coz they're not in html. Coz the text is all tied up in flash.... I dunno. Flash sux though. Takes ages to load....
loser (538)
79892 2002-09-16 05:11:00 Agreed, and 9 times out of 10 whatever the designer does in Flash could have easily been accomplished using either DHTML or an animated gif (with the obvious bonus of a reduced file size / loading time). antmannz (28)
79893 2002-09-16 05:15:00 90% of search engines will only check what is in your document AFTER they have checked your 'Meta' tags. These tags go between the <HEAD> </HEAD> tags in your document, and give information to search engines (and users) about your site.

For instance, <META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Description of site"> will give the search engine information to display if you site appears as a search result.

Also <META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="Apples, pears, oranges"> provides keywords for which you site can be searched for. So if somebody searches for 'Apples' and your site has 'apples' as a keyword, your site will appear as a search result... and the 'Description' will pop up beside it.

Search engines will not pass-over sites that have flash. However, if you only have code that loads the flash files, you should have some hidden code too which describes your site. Either use the meta tags, or use comment tags (which do not display in browsers, but are used by search engines and designers).
KerryD (1620)
79894 2002-09-16 05:17:00 I thought the search engines picked up on the keyword and description fields, not on the 'flash' which I think is embedded. Anyway I agree it's most just a nuisance. Kachingo had a very 'flashy' site that didn't work half the time. Gimmicky, goofy, OK for a circus site if that's what you want. :) mark c (247)
79895 2002-09-16 05:46:00 Well it comes down to taste.

Being someone whose phenomenally boring childhood was only spiced by fleeting glimpes of monty python and other " pointless stupid stuff" i have always found GOOD flash animation to be refreshing, and highly entertaining.

However on an information site, it is pointless, as the idea of the site is to give you what you want to know ASAP

There will of course be a grey zone

ANIMATED PENGUINS ROCK!
Chris Wilson (431)
79896 2002-09-16 06:54:00 Well I think bobthebuilder is done in flash and its very good... keeps my son occupied for hours. Dolby Digital (160)
1 2