Flash has gained immense web popularity because it provides a convenient way to let web sites include interactive and animated movies, which could not have been possible otherwise. In the beginning, Flash made its mark because it provides advantages in two sectors; animated banner ads and Flash intros. Web designers considered Flash to be the latest, and that having Flash projected them as better designers.
Even though Flash movies as ad banners continues because of a high click thru rate as compared to static gifts, there is a marked and continuing decline in their usage. There are several reasons for this, and are all connected to the relative advantages and disadvantages of using animated Flash movies as web-site intros.
One of the reasons for the decreasing popularity of Flash intros is because it fails to fulfill any useful purpose. It is simply an animated visual presentation of appearing /disappearing images and text messages from various parts of the screen with all the animation and interactivity actually serving no particular purpose, in many cases not ever succeeding in attracting the visitor's attention.
Another disadvantage is that your homepage takes much more time to load when you use Flash intros. When you create a Flash intro, it surely has raster graphics, which increase the file size of the .swf file leading to a greater overall time to fully load your homepage. Now it would be too much to expect your time conscious visitor to keep waiting while your Flash intro gets loaded and then again go on to read your animated sales pitches. You know very well that had you been in the shoes of your visitor you would have just clicked out instead of waiting.
Embedding music and sound files in Flash intro movies increases their file sizes again leading to greater download time. Moreover, not every visitor is a music lover and even if he is, he may not like music forced upon him instead of being able to listen to what he prefers.
However, the biggest disadvantage of using a Flash intro is difficulty in being picked up by search engines, which cannot index text embedded in movies. It is also wrong to suppose that placing keywords in Meta tags or within HTML comment tags is going to overcome this problem as even an advanced search engine like Google faces problems indexing text and following links created in Flash movies.
All this is not to deny the advantages of Flash intros. If you use animation and interactive features properly, it certainly makes Flash catchy. Flash intros are a great way to thrill your visitors in case they have a lot of time on their hands. Another advantage with Flash intros is that if visitors are at a higher bandwidth or if they have time to let your intros to load you have a great opportunity to showcase your corporate objectives through a Flash intro as compared to a static page. It is also possible to build good interactive menus in a Flash intro. These menus tend to serve as excellent navigation guides for the site's human visitors.
Air travel is one of the fastest way of traveling on our planet. You can get from point A to point B much quicker than all other modes of transport. For example, when traveling to the same destination, a ship can take months while a plane will only take hours. Obviously, speed is the number one advantage for traveling in an air plane. There are other advantages as well.
Comfort.
Commercial air planes are often more comfortable to ride in when the destination is far away. Occasional turbulence may be experienced while traveling in an air plane. But this is nothing compared to the way a ship will roll in rough seas. Some people suffer from air sickness but this is very rare.
Temperatures are kept to a comfortable level, and entertainment may be available. You can choose to listen to some soothing music, watch videos, or even play Nintendo games on an air plane. The level of comfort also depends on the type of seats that you have bought tickets for.
If you have a little more budget, you may want to consider buying a business class air ticket. This is your ticket that will get you a seat that offers more leg room and personal space. You are also attended to by attentive air stewards or stewardesses. If you need anything at all (e.g. blankets, food and wine, etc), just make a request and the items will sent to you without you having to leave your seat.
Besides comfort, if you choose to travel by air, you can also enjoy greater convenience.
Convenience.
It is more convenient to travel by plane, especially when you are in a rush. You can book air tickets easily from your favorite travel agency just by making a phone call. Your travel agency will advise you on the next available flight, and you can decide on the spot whether you want to make a reservation.
Many metropolitan airports are serviced by numerous airlines. So unless it's the peak season, you should be able to book the tickets for the dates you want.
In addition, most international airports are equipped with comprehensive facilities to serve the difference needs of travelers. For instance, you should be able to locate car rental services easily at most major airports. Such services provide added convenience.
Perhaps the only major drawback for air traveling is the ticket price. The price of the ticket depends on your choice of airline, the class of your seat, and your destination. Bigger and more established airlines tend to charge more compared to smaller airlines. Business class seats are more luxurious, so they cost more than economy class seats. And of course, the further you travel, the more you may have to pay.
Despite higher prices, many still choose to travel by air due to the speed, comfort and convenience that air travel offers. Traveling by air saves a lot of time. Besides, numerous budget airlines offer air tickets at highly affordable prices. That makes air travel a more attractive mode of transport.
Both Peter Brittain & Gen Wright are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.