OK, I’ve got a beef with web designers who use all Flash. Have we ever heard of usability? Apparently not.

A few weeks back I switched to the Firebird browser because IE was being stupid. Seemed like a good idea at the time, though since I’ve noticed that the Flash plug-in doesn’t stay plugged in. Every time I launch Firebird I have to reinstall Flash. Now maybe I’m just an idiot and I’m not doing something right, but it’s a pain. For the most part I don’t bother reinstalling Flash every time. Which means any sites that use Flash can be difficult.

Now a site like Relevant uses Flash, but it’s only for enhancements on the page. I can still check their recent updates without needing Flash. It adds some nice visual elements, but not having Flash doesn’t ruin my experience. On the other hand, some web designers insist that you have Flash to see anything on their site. The bands Jars of Clay and Sanctus Real are two examples. If you don’t have Flash you can’t get anything.

Now let’s think about this for a minute. You’re not just making it difficult for people to surf your site, you’re making it impossible. You’re knowingly shutting out a certain percentage of people from your site (anybody know what that percentage is? UPDATE: OK, I looked it up myself. 98% of Internet users have Flash. Though the numbers are baked. 98% is for Flash 2. We’re currently on Flash 7, which has 7.2% of Internet users. Flash 6 is still at 90%, so they’re doing pretty good. I guess you’re not shutting out that many people [though why would you want to shut anyone out?], but more importantly, they’re still making difficult-to-use sites. Lame.). And what do you gain? Some cool effects. Oooh. Bands are notorious for using Flash exclusively.

The downside is that most all-Flash sites suck. Often they give you a number of little text frames to scroll through (and where are the freakin’ scroll buttons! If you can even find them, they all work differently!) or they pop up windows all over the place. It’s a navigational and usability nightmare. If you want to have all the fancy effects, use them strictly for effects. Let HTML handle the text, which will make your site simpler, easier to use, and compatible with a much larger audience base.

I’ve noticed graphic design houses do this as well. They want that wow-factor so they make this crazy Flash site. Yet the site is terrible to use. Why on earth would I hire you if you can’t make a site I can use?

You can certainly use Flash, it’s a cool effect. Just allow your site to still function without Flash. Or offer an HTML alternative (like U2). Very few sites can justify all-Flash, and when they can it usually involves lots of animation, like Homestar Runner.

I know I sound like Jakob Nielsen, but I just want a site that’s easy to use. Is that too much to ask? It’s like punishing someone for being interested in your business.

In my ever-expanding battle with computer frustration, I switched to Mozilla’s Firebird Browser today. A few people (Jordon Cooper, Josh Lewis, etc.) said good things about it, so I figured I’d give it a shot. And it’s not IE.

For the past week Internet Explorer has decided to not load certain web sites. For no reason they show up as “This page could not be displayed.” It’s possible that google.com went down for an hour, maybe a day, but after a week I figured it was my problem. Pretty soon about 25% of the sites I visit wouldn’t load, and I decided enough is enough.

Every time I’ve tried to upgrade or reinstall IE it’s failed, so I decided it’s not even worth the time to try. I gave Firebird a shot, and I was up and browsing in less than 30 seconds. IE is no longer welcome here. Consider this yet another nail in the coffin of this PC user.

“It’s a huge problem,” said Brewster Kahle, digital librarian at the Internet Archive in San Francisco in a Washington Post article on the ephemeral nature of the net (link via jordoncooper.com). “The average lifespan of a Web page today is 100 days. This is no way to run a culture.”

Yikes. Think that’s frightening for scientists, how about a web-addicted writer like me? I probably do 90 percent of my research online. If the web is going to work longterm, it needs to be a little more reliable.

While trying to buy a Christmas present on Amazon.com today, I slipped into their little marketing scheme. If you spend $25 or more on qualifying products (i.e. books, music, movies — most Amazon partner products like cooking utensils don’t count) they give you free “super saver shipping” (which means you get the slowest, cheapest shipping for free).

I was planning to spend less than $25, but it was close enough to consider buying something cheap rather than pay shipping. Why not get a book, CD, or DVD for maybe $1 or so more than the shipping?

So I set about bargain hunting. While I found a few gems, I never found that jackpot item that made it so worthwhile. Sadly, a quick Google search didn’t help me either. Somebody out there must have a list of cheap items on Amazon.com that you can use to qualify for free shipping. If there is, I didn’t find it.

But to offer a wonderful service to my readers, I’ll let you know some of the cheap gems I did find. Maybe this will come in handy if you’re in need of that low-cost item to qualify for free shipping.

• Laughing City EP by Eisley (they opened for Coldplay) – $5.98
• The Christmas Spirit by Johnny Cash – $5.98
• Country Christmas by Johnny Cash – $5.98
• Orthadoxy by G.K. Chesterton – $9.56
• The Man Who Was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton – $8.95
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card – $6.99
• Songbook by Nick Hornby – $7.80
• 50 Things You’re Not Supposed to Know by Russ Kick – $5.97
• The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien – $7.99
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – $6.57
• Self-Consciousness: Memoirs by John Updike – $6.99
• Holes by Louis Sachar – $6.50
• The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss – $5.39
• Jimmy Eat World DVD – $7.98

Well, there you go.

Saw an interesting post today about citizen-created content (i.e. amateur stuff, like blogs, not the pro stuff, like Time). Some bigwig at AOL says people spend 60-70 percent of their time with that kind of non-pro content, be it blogs, message boards, reviews, whatever.

Very interesting for the future of the web. (link via Steve Knight)

Interesting article on dead Web sites. Kind of makes me wonder how many woefully un-updated web sites are out there that I’m supposed to be updating.

I’ve been adding my archives to this new system, and I’m realizing how much of my blogging gets woefully out of date. Six months later and half the links don’t work.

Kind of makes you wonder what’s the point to commenting on news like this.

Check out my newest time-suck, Quotables. It’s basically my newest use for blogging software and a way to get some use out of all the quotes I keep track of anyway. Enjoy it while I’m still interested.

Old School Educational Flicks
Check out this archive of advertising and educational movies from 1927-1987. Everything from duck and cover to swell parenting tips.

Atomic Comic
While we’re on the duck and cover theme, check out this old school comic about nuclear energy.

Oddball Comics
And while we’re on the comic theme, check out this site of oddball comics. Today’s theme? Catholic comics.

1980s TV Commercials
Gen X nostalgia at its best. My favorite was the C3-PO’s cereal — “A crunchy new force for breakfast!”

Die Trucker Hats, Die!
For those who think they’re cool: they’re not. The Gap plans to start carrying the hats next winter. “I never would have worn a trucker hat before because they were too cool,” said Zinner, who bought his two weeks ago while on tour in South Dakota. “But now that they are so uncool it’s cool to wear them.”

Teens Spend Billions on One-Night Bender
”It’s totally worth it!” said Lucas, who is still shopping and making final plans before the June 6 event. ”How can you put a price tag on a lifetime of memories?” The average 17-year-old spends $638 on prom, so apparently you can put a price tag on memories. I didn’t go to prom. Unfortunately, I have no $638 memories of bad sex in a cheap hotel.

Not in the face, not in the face!
The first rule of Dodgeball Club is you do not talk about Dodgeball Club.

Wal-Mart Menace
Last week I read about the perils of working at Wal-Mart in Nickel and Dimed (can you say, “give me a squiggle?”), and apparently Ehrenreich isn’t the only one with complaints. Three times a day there’s a new law suit against Wal-Mart. Ol Sam Walton must be rolling over in his shopping cart.

Flat Stanley Visits the White House
Apparently Flat Stanley is an elementary school project all across the country where students mail a small paper man to various places and somehow learn stuff. Frankly, I like “Flat Tyler” better (a project my cousin’s classroom did where they mailed a lifesize paper version of themself around the country. Much cooler. Though I can’t help but wonder if the Secret Service was wary of paper cuts.

If We Run Out of Batteries, This War is Screwed
OK, I didn’t finish reading this article, but it’s an incredibly interesting account of technology at the front lines of the second Gulf War. My favorite part was the use of Instant Messanging to check the likelihood of a chemical weapons attack.

What I Wish I Knew When I Started Youth Ministry (and part 2)
I’m more of a youth volunteer than an actual youth pastor, but this advice blew me away. Sometimes I feel like I try so hard to be cool, to connect with our kids, and I so much want to have all the results. I fall into so many classic traps. Sometimes I really need to lose the hip exterior and be my dorky self. My pathetic air guitar would open more doors than my detached aloofness.

Save me, Jebus!
And finally (yes, I like to save the best for last — see if anyone can make it through all those freakin’ links), tonight at the video store I saw the movie Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter. Oh my gosh. Has anyone seen this? I’ve got to find an excuse to rent this movie.

Ebay.gov
Check out the government’s online auction clearinghouse.

The Internet Timeline
The history of the net, complete with Homestar Runner.

Badger Rampage Injures Five
And no, it’s not from the Onion.

Napsterizing iTunes
Apparently iTunes isn’t the solution to online music piracy.

The Dullest Blog in the World
What’s even more bizarre than the fact that this site is actually funny, is the fact that the New York Times covered it.

The Star Wars Kid
If you haven’t seen the 15-year-old geek twirling a broom/lightsaber, you haven’t truly lived. Wired covers the story, and a blog tries to raise money for the poor kid whose private video was leaked to the world. Unfortunately, we all have embarrassingly dorky videos from our not-so-distant past. May God have mercy on us all.

Ah, the joy of the all American T-shirt. Sometimes the vintage, thrift store T-shirts are just cool. We’ve been over the “Jesus is my Homeboy” shirt, but I found a few new ones today, including the sappy “Jesus Loves Me,” the nostalgic “Say Yes to Michigan,” and “Commodore 64 Force,” and the ever delightful “Detroit: Where the Weak are Killed and Eaten.”