Why does the internet suck?

[Anthony Sloan]

<rant>

Supposedly this vast world wide web is in place so that absolute scads of information will be
right at our fingertips. As we sit at our ease, we can imagine the teeming bits of data out there
hoping, praying that they will be allowed to grace our screens and enlighten us. Bearing this in
mind I set out this morning in search of info on a new fork and disc brakes for the new frame I
have on the way.

What I have found is that there is so much Flash and other nonsense cluttering up various
manufactor's websites that the actual information is either lost in the clutter or not even extant.
Sometimes, when a website is feeling particularly zesty and willful, it will lock up your system,
just as an added flourish.

I don't want animated graphics and logos. i don't want brief snippets of obnoxious metalhead music.
I want data. The Hayes site loads up and ever so nifty animated logo of a spinning disc. Kewl. Disc
brakes spin, AND their logo spins! I get it! Unfortunately none of the links around it work. (and is
it just me or do they have the most confusing lineup of product names. hmfx mag + xc dh... Just call
them fred, wilma barney and betty so I can tell 'em apart!!! (This is an added dig at hayes just
because their site annoys me so much))

It shouldn't be this hard. The web is it's own medium. These folks need to quit tryin to make it
emulate the television.

</rant

 

[Bb]

On Thu, 29 May 2003 11:12:43 -0500, Anthony Sloan wrote:
><rant> What I have found is that there is so much Flash and other nonsense cluttering up various
>manufactor's websites that the actual information is either lost in the clutter or not even
>extant. </rant>

Form over function: its what happen when the advertising/sales guys take over. The same reason there
are commercials on TV that look cool, but give you absolutely no idea what they're even wanting to
sell or why you'd want to buy it.

--
-BB- To reply to me, drop the attitude (from my e-mail address, at least)

 

[Anthony Sloan]

Jon Bond wrote:
> "P e t e F a g e r l i n" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>
>>On 29 May 2003 18:09:47 GMT, BB <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Thu, 29 May 2003 11:12:43 -0500, Anthony Sloan wrote:
>>>
>>>><rant> What I have found is that there is so much Flash and other nonsense cluttering up various
>>>>manufactor's websites that the actual information is either lost in the clutter or not even
>>>>extant. </rant>
>>>
>>>Form over function: its what happen when the advertising/sales guys take over. The same reason
>>>there are commercials on TV that look cool, but
>>
> give
>
>>>you absolutely no idea what they're even wanting to sell or why you'd
>>
> want
>
>>>to buy it.
>>
>>And there's always the flipside...commercials that look cool, where you know what they're trying
>>to sell, brought to you on the 'net by Flash.
>>
>>http://home.attbi.com/~bernhard36/honda-ad.html
>
>
> Although that was originally a TV ad, and the flash is just there as an inline movie player
>
> Very cool advertisement though. The amazing thing is they actually did it.. and it only took then
> 600 (or was it 300? don't remember - a huge number, anyway) tries to get it right.
>
> Jon Bond
>
>

Somewhere right around 600 takes. The only digital editing was to splice the two segments together.
The Paris studio they used was only so long, so the muffler rolling is the link between the two.

When I first saw that I realized that this was the first time Flash had actually provided something
worthwhile.

A
--
My hands are full of thorns but I can't quit groping for the rose.

 

[Technician]

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> <rant>
>
> Supposedly this vast world wide web is in place so that absolute scads of information will be
> right at our fingertips. As we sit at our ease, we can imagine the teeming bits of data out there
> hoping, praying that they will be allowed to grace our screens and enlighten us. Bearing this in
> mind I set out this morning in search of info on a new fork and disc brakes for the new frame I
> have on the way.
>
> What I have found is that there is so much Flash and other nonsense cluttering up various
> manufactor's websites that the actual information is either lost in the clutter or not even
> extant. Sometimes, when a website is feeling particularly zesty and willful, it will lock up your
> system, just as an added flourish.
>
> I don't want animated graphics and logos. i don't want brief snippets of obnoxious metalhead
> music. I want data. The Hayes site loads up and ever so nifty animated logo of a spinning disc.
> Kewl. Disc brakes spin, AND their logo spins! I get it! Unfortunately none of the links around it
> work. (and is it just me or do they have the most confusing lineup of product names. hmfx mag + xc
> dh... Just call them fred, wilma barney and betty so I can tell 'em apart!!! (This is an added dig
> at hayes just because their site annoys me so much))
>
> It shouldn't be this hard. The web is it's own medium. These folks need to quit tryin to make it
> emulate the television.
>
> </rant>
>
>

Yeah, that's why i have dropped the use of flash for web pages. I try to keep my pages fast loading,
but not bland.

I only use flash now for making title screens and stuff, export them to an AVI and import them into
adobe premier (gift from a friend, like hell could i afford it). i have done this several times.
like when i converted a slide show of my grandparents into a kind of multimedia video with captions,
flashy animations, and a voice-over. then exported to VHS. nothing too spectacular.

But flash is too much for the web IMO. if it can't be downloaded in less than 5 minutes on an analog
dial-up connection, then it is too much, i simply move on. i have only waited to watch the flash
intro on Pete F's site once, after that, i skip over it every time. that and i have a direct book
mark to his videos section so i can skip past the hundreds of graphics that need to load and the
flash intro.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net http://www.megalink.net/~farmers/

 

[Mattb]

"Anthony Sloan" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
<snip>
>
> Somewhere right around 600 takes. The only digital editing was to splice the two segments
> together. The Paris studio they used was only so long, so the muffler rolling is the link between
> the two.
>
> When I first saw that I realized that this was the first time Flash had actually provided
> something worthwhile.
>
> A
> --
> My hands are full of thorns but I can't quit groping for the rose.
>

I agree the 'net is way over-flashed. But since we're now talking about "worthwhile" implementations
of flash I have to mention www.elftrance.com. Not sure what would make it worthwhile, but I find it
entertaining. It's also amazing that this guy put this amount of work into something that doesn't
sell anything.

Matt

 

[John Harlow]

> I agree the 'net is way over-flashed. But since we're now talking about "worthwhile"
> implementations of flash I have to mention www.elftrance.com. Not sure what would make it
> worthwhile, but I find it entertaining. It's also amazing that this guy put this amount of work
> into something that doesn't sell anything.

I second that with www.homestarrunner.com. Those guys are quite talented.

 

[Jon Bond]

"John Harlow" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:xXtBa.768775$OV.704168@rwcrnsc54...
> > I agree the 'net is way over-flashed. But since we're now talking about "worthwhile"
> > implementations of flash I have to mention
www.elftrance.com.
> > Not sure what would make it worthwhile, but I find it entertaining. It's also amazing that this
> > guy put this amount of work into something that doesn't sell anything.
>
> I second that with www.homestarrunner.com. Those guys are quite talented.

Definitely. TROGDOR THE BURNINATOR!

Jon Bond we've played the Strongbad Techno in the shop - oh yeah.

 

[Trentus]

> > When I first saw that I realized that this was the first time Flash had actually provided
> > something worthwhile.

Some might consider www.jj1.com as a worthwhile use of flash. But beware. Don't go there on your
work's computer, or when the wife or kids are around, or if you don't want to see naked women doing
jumping jacks to make their breasts bounce. Flash gives crystal clear sharp "movies" of the bouncing
boobs, that movie footage doesn't.

And there's probably no point me saying "I don't go to this site, I just know about it" because no
one would believe me (but it is true, I don't go there, I do just know about it)

Trentus

 

[Supabonbon]

Anthony Sloan <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> <rant>
>
> Supposedly this vast world wide web is in place so that absolute scads of information will be
> right at our fingertips. As we sit at our ease, we can imagine the teeming bits of data out there
> hoping, praying that they will be allowed to grace our screens and enlighten us. Bearing this in
> mind I set out this morning in search of info on a new fork and disc brakes for the new frame I
> have on the way.
>
> What I have found is that there is so much Flash and other nonsense cluttering up various
> manufactor's websites that the actual information is either lost in the clutter or not even
> extant. Sometimes, when a website is feeling particularly zesty and willful, it will lock up your
> system, just as an added flourish.
>
> I don't want animated graphics and logos. i don't want brief snippets of obnoxious metalhead
> music. I want data. The Hayes site loads up and ever so nifty animated logo of a spinning disc.
> Kewl. Disc brakes spin, AND their logo spins! I get it! Unfortunately none of the links around it
> work. (and is it just me or do they have the most confusing lineup of product names. hmfx mag + xc
> dh... Just call them fred, wilma barney and betty so I can tell 'em apart!!! (This is an added dig
> at hayes just because their site annoys me so much))
>
> It shouldn't be this hard. The web is it's own medium. These folks need to quit tryin to make it
> emulate the television.
>
> </rant>

http://www.thelemon.net/issues/timeline.php

/s