youzit.com {usability.sucks}

Entertaining anti-Nielsen site.

Flash is taking a pretty serious beating by the usability community. Rightly so, in most cases. Suprisingly, Macromedia is reacting to it in a way that may actually benefit users. Below is a post on behalf of Macromedia’s Product Manager, Erik Larson.

Hi Everybody,

I’ve been following this list along with several of my colleagues here

at Macromedia for the past few months, particularly the (rather long

string of Flash-related posts. I thought you might be interested to see

an early draft version of our Top 10 Tips for Flash Usability that we

plan to promote to the 500,000+ Flash developers around the world.

We are intensely focused on our customers’ needs, and are very

interested to hear your feedback concerning these tips. We believe Flash

can be used to create outstanding user experiences, and that guidance

like these tips will help designers to find their own balance of art and

engineering while still being free to innovate and explore this evolving

medium.

What do you think?

don’t overwhelm Keith and William with another flood of Flash posts .

I will then post a summary of the responses.

Thanks for the excellent discussion!

Cheers,

Erik

Redherring.com - All ASPs aren’t poisonous- October 11, 2000

Oh, I see. The little ASPs still have a chance at profitability. Whew!

Redherring.com - ASP: anyone still paying?- November 20, 2000

Wow, more fear in the ASP market. This article starts with the subtle line: If you remember the business model affectionately known as the application service provider (ASP), start trying to forget it.

[Forbes.com: The Bite of the ASP

](http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2000/1127/6614296a.html)

Not completely F.U.D., but close. The real danger with ASPs is that they can simply close their doors, leaving customers without their data. Red Gorilla did it.

CEATEC Photos

Why does nearly every new device have to look like an iMac? I vote for something “different.”

Lighthouse - Burdman on Web development’s central challenge

Author of Collaborative Web Development Discusses some of the challenges of web project management. Just an overview, but yet another indication that her book should be read.

Drop-Down Menus: Use Sparingly (Alertbox Nov. 2000)

Mr. Nielsen on the continued misuse of the drop-down menu as a navigation or command device in web page design.

Flazoom.com - Attention Macromedia: I Will not be Your Scapegoat

A response to Macromedia blaming developers for poor design using Flash. He says, “A company can not promote bad usability with every award it hands out and then blame the developers for their products poor reputation.”

TheStandard.com: How to Write for the Web

Just some real good advice ‘bout righting 4 the web. Ain’t too long, neither.