Time to reconsider our opinion on Flash?

With the announcement that Flash files will be better indexed by search engines, is it now time to reconsider our opinion on their use?

Adobe Systems, makers of Flash, recently provided Google and Yahoo! with the technology to access the content stored within the media files. Prior to this, much of the text within Flash based websites was invisible to search engines. Invisible content = an invisible website.

Pragmatic Design's opinion on Flash has always been this:

Flash is like chocolate. Tempting. Rich. Self indulgent. But too much will make you sick.

So why are we against the use of Flash files?

We've documented an overview of why Flash should may avoided in our free "Guide to Choosing a Web Designer", but it's worth reiterating here:

It can take a long time to load. It used to be said that a user would wait no longer than 10 seconds for a web page to load. Nowadays, users have faster PC's with faster connections, and Flash websites containing more and more images and sounds, we think that 10 seconds is optimistic.

Mobile Internet usage is increasing massively. Mobile 'phone's are rapidly turning into mini computers, and 'phone operators are finally reducing data charges. Yet most devices can't handle Flash files. Your website must not lock out these viewers.

You also have to keep updating your Flash plug-in (the bit of software that lets your browser show Flash content). If content was created using the newest version of Adobe Flash, user's will usually need the newest version of the Flash plug-in in order to view it. 

Finally, there's a bit of a backlash against Flash. It started because of user's annoyance at increasingly obtrusive Flash based adverts on websites. Many removed the Flash plug-in or installed "Flash Blockers". If they can't view Flash adverts, they can't view your Flash website.

So what's Flash got going for it?

It can be a designer's dream! Rich content, animation, sounds and a level of interactivity that simply isn't possible without it. Plus, if it works on one browser, it will work on them all (providing the Flash plug-in is installed, of course).  

So what's the verdict?

It's clear that some progress has already been made, but it's also clear that the results are less than perfect. The results listed on the search engine's are far from perfect, and at worst contain an almost illegible mish mash of tags, commands and code.  

We're simply not ready to sacrifice our customer's search engine rankings and customer base yet.