Posted by Jonathan N. Little on 10/09/07 21:01

SpaceGirl wrote:
> Jonathan N. Little wrote:
>> SpaceGirl wrote:

>>
>> 3) Relates to #2. The damn page is just like an image of a piece of
>> paper. That's the problem the web is not paper.
>
> Says who? You? So, you are forcing YOUR limited view of what you think
> the web should be on everyone else? I think finally we get to the heart
> of the issue.


Well aside of the numerous accessibility studies done about the web just
casual observance of people using the web will show you. On the web
people scroll up and down not sideways. Even novice web designers
recognize this as they desperately try to center their content. We get
numerous posts on this NG. They usually make the notorious 'Scroll of
Death' sites often found on GeoCities or Tripod.

The Web is not paper. Books are the size they are because for the font
size the printer chooses with comfortable margins produces lines with
the sweet-spot of 10 words per line. A newspaper is the maximum size
that the average person can spread their arms to turn the page. Because
the page is so wide with a newspaper the content is set in columns and
the words per line average is nearly halved that of books to aid legibly
with the poorer contrast and paper - printing quality. Design is
influenced by the medium. But with paper the printer, artist,
calligrapher has control of that canvas. The web designer does not. All
they can do is disenfranchise some of their audience. You do not know
whether or not your sites are viewed on 2.5 inch display of a cell
phone, 540 pixel abortion of WebTV on an old TV, squeeze under 700
pixels on an old 13 inch VGA monitor or many feet displayed on a wall
with a projector. Or maybe no canvas at all! The Web is not paper, pain
and simple. Paper has dimensions and the Web does not.

As an artist and with my graphical perspective with my first websites I
approached web design like paper. My approach has evolved as the Web as
evolved and as learned more about the Web from actually using it.

Being accessible and flexible in web design does not necessarily equate
to plain and boring. It does take creativity. Doing it in flash does
make it creative either. There also is no one answer for all sites. You
can try to control all aspects of the presentation of a site, but it
comes at a price. The more your control the more you will limit
accessibility.

I am not against flash, any more than images or other media (well maybe
background music!!!!). All have their place. What I am saying is that
flash, at least at this state, is not a replacement for html.

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

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