Flash has been around for a while now – since way back in 1996 which is centuries in “internet years” – yet many internet users know little or nothing about it. Why should you? Does it really affect you? Well, yes – Flash can have a big impact on you and your website. Hopefully after reading this you’ll feel a bit more savvy so you can make the right choices for your website.

What is Flash?
It’s often referred to as a “video”, which isn’t really true. Flash is actually much more than that – a powerful multimedia format which can manipulate graphics, supports audio, video and contains a scripting language called ActionScript. All of these things combine to allow web developers to create anything from a simple animation to whole websites or powerful online software and games. One of the most famous uses for Flash on the internet today are the billions of videos streamed by YouTube.

So how does it affect me?
Traditionally Flash has taken a lot of stick for being inaccessible and typically bad for search engine optimisation. These days things have moved on and if you have a talented Flash developer working for you they will be able to overcome these challenges.

The real problem is that the powerful scripting features of Flash mentioned earlier could actually contain something rather nasty for your computer. Spyware or viruses hidden in Flash have been making the news for over a decade now and are still prevalent on “the bad side of the internet”. Rather than risk unsavoury images or viruses being loaded onto their computers, many businesses have simply blocked Flash with their security settings. Imagine you’re offering services to businesses – if your site navigation is in Flash how will they be able to view your website? Or worse, what if your whole website is in Flash? They’ll likely give up and go elsewhere.

Have I got Flash?
It’s easy to see if a website is using Flash. The most likely place for it to be used is in the main navigation menu or any areas which are animated. Just use your mouse to right click on the part which you think might be Flash and the menu that pops up will tell you – if it is Flash, you’ll see Flash Player mentioned on the menu. I’ve included a screenshot from Firefox, though it will be very similar in Internet Explorer or any other browser.

So I should avoid it at all costs?
Of course not! Flash has many excellent uses (just look at YouTube) and in some cases it can be the only way to achieve a certain effect. Some areas, such as arts or design are very graphic intensive and a rich, glossy movie could be just the ticket to show off what they do. Just remember it’s important to consider who might be viewing your website and make sure they’ll be able to use it.