[WEB4LIB]

[Andrew I. Mutch]

I think that those who do use Flash should listen closely to the point
about using non-standard interfaces.  From the article:

"many Flash designers introduce their own nonstandard GUI controls"

I've seen several examples of this just today.  As Nielsen notes, you are
setting up your users [and your work] for failure by forcing them to first
learn a new interface just to be able to maneuver around your presentation
or application.  This isn't a criticism of Flash itself but its
implementation.

Andrew Mutch
Library Systems Technician
Waterford Township Public Library
Waterford, MI



On Thu, 2 Nov 2000, Grace Agnew wrote:

> I read this article on Flash because we are just beginning a new initiative
> to develop interactive tutorials, primarily for students, at the library.
> I think his concern needs to be taken in context.  Flash, in the general
> World Wide Web, can be overwhelming to a 56 KB modem, particularly during
> peak use hours.  Flash is also heavily overused as a way to add cool
> animation as a site opens which can cause a long download time or even
> freeze your system without adding any real value to the website. 
> 
> I don't think we should discount Flash as a tool, among other tools, to
> create tutorials and online help that are intuitive, interactive, and
> appealing to busy students who don't want to wade through masses of text to
> figure out how to use a journal aggregator service, for example.  I first
> got intrigued by Flash when we were looking at production replacement
> scanners for  electronic reserves and document delivery.  I stumbled on a
> Flash demo for the HP digital sender (9100), which showed how a multipaged
> document was scanned and either faxed or encoded as PDF and sent to the
> recipient via email depending on whether you entered a fax number or an
> email address.  The demo showed graphically  how the 9100 digital sender
> was incorporated into workflow and how it used the network cable or phone
> line to send the information.  We weren't looking for that product but we
> liked the look of it and bought it and at the same time, I started looking
> into Flash as a possible library tool.
> 
> I don't think tutorials which use Flash, Java, digital video/audio,
> animated powerpoint slides, or some other method to add interactivity and
> flow, which are designed for use on a high-speed campus network, are
> "gratuitous animation."   A key target audience for us will be first and
> second year undergraduates living on campus and using the campus ResNet, a
> high speed network with very generous bandwidth.  Quick tutorials that
> demonstrate research principles, such a refining a term paper topic, or
> that demonstrate how to search a complex database, will hopefully work very
> well in this context.  We also, like most academic libraries, provide a
> series of classes and workshops on general Internet and online library use
> and online research for specific topics.  I am envisioning that the
> tutorials our reference librarians will design and create might be used at
> the end of a class, for example, so the students can practically test what
> they learned and get a private "score" that shows them what they did or
> didn't understand so they can focus their questions or even ask questions
> privately after class.  It also reinforces what they have been shown
> because they are interacting with the concepts and strategies themselves.
> Later the tutorials can serve as a "refresher", emphasizing the key points
> of the classroom instruction.  Short, well-done tutorials can also provide
> "pont-of-need" assistance for online research.  
> 
> An example of a well-done interactive tutorial site that we are looking at
> closely is:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/modern/
> 
> Grace Agnew
> *******************************************************************
> 
> Grace Agnew
> Assistant Director for Systems and Technical Services
> Georgia Tech Library
> (404) 894-8932
> (404) 894-6084 (fax)
> mailto:grace.agnew at library.gatech.edu
> 
> ******************************************************************
>