Struggling to understand... the use of Flash

[Brit]

Watching the OB registration process stagger online this morning, collapse, resurrect briefly, then fall asthmatically to the floor again... was not entirely unexpected. An eyebrow became raised however when I realised the entire experience was Flash driven...

Whilst I seek alternative entertainment to pass the time during repeated rounds of 'Spinning Wheel Of Death Code 414' (box game version coming soon!) I can't help but wonder why any part of this site apart from some gimmicky bits weren't kept in nice'n'simple HTML?

[Andyredbeard]

That is a very good question, one which I have asked many times myself. Unfortunately I can not come up with a reasonable answer. Are they perhaps sponsored by Adobe?

[Wild]

ibtl

[Grimlorn]

Yeah I don't understand flash either. Isn't an entire flash site a bad thing? I'm not very experienced with websites, but I don't know of any good, popular flash websites.

I think the few I have been on were all bad or had problems pretty regularly, but I can't be sure. I just think it's odd that people warn them about a flash site and they still keep it.

[Runoff]

It would mean retraining or employing new web designers, More than likley same guy been working with the web stuff from Daoc days and their loyalty to him/her means they will only use flash. Certainally not very many people in the customer base like Flash and have expressed so many times. Just get same "This isnt open for Discussion" Topic closed ignorance.

[mrbandersnatch]

I hate flash websites with a passion. Managers tend to love them though. Several times I've had to raise the DDA to management bods to get them to put at least a BASIC level of accessibility into a sites design specs. Heck even with the knowledge that the sites are in breach of UK legislation many STILL don't see why they should be practicing "accessible design".

Anyways, basic reason you get a flash only website is incompetent technical management, which I think we can see quite a lot of evidence of today. But you know what? No one is going to get their come-uppence for this since all they have to say "Well its beta!".

****** disgusting.

[Runoff]

Surely if GOA want to operate in UK they must abide by our laws. Re Flash based account management.

[Downanael]

There was a 10 paged thread about this on beta forums but we never got an answer from GOA neither

[Runoff]

Dont think GOA are above the law, is it true such a law was passed? If so they would need to act on it if they want to trade within the Uk.

[mrbandersnatch]

Originally Posted by Runoff

Dont think GOA are above the law, is it true such a law was passed? If so they would need to act on it if they want to trade within the Uk.

Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) & web accessibility

GOA would fail on the most BASIC of requirements.

[Flimgoblin]

because we all know that building a site in HTML makes it immune to load issues...

[old.Osy]

I think he's only saying Flash is awful to interact with, in this case -- and GOA is no stranger to the community feedback regarding the usage of flash in its websites.

Back-end issues have nothing to do with the use of Flash, I think everyone realises that, Flim.

[Brit]

Interestingly enough it looks like the US version of the Warhammer site isn't Flash, its quick loading bog standard HTML that has had a bit of care taken over it. Well played those chaps.

Also interesting that DDA has been raised a number of times. I'm no lawyer, but I don't think DDA compliance is actually a statutory requirement - sure its best practice (and of course, Flash has a fairly decent measure of accessibility built into it these days, you just have to know, as a developer, how to use it) but I don't think there is any case law here? Hmmm... given I'm 414'ing myself ad infinitum, I may well have to Google the issue.