FLASH OR NOT TO FLASH...That is the question...

(aka everything new is old again...)

I am not a high-end, programming-degreed web designer.
I am a graphic designer who (like many my age) has been retrofitted to do the web. Today's designers must tackle a variety of media, rather than falling back solely upon print as we had in a bygone era.

Anyone with a pedigree to web prior to 92 or 93 is likely a Computer Science major. Funny thing is that it feels like the web has been around forever... but it wasn't until the senate bill in 95 passed that it became the bona-fide commercial communication tool. Thus came my first HTML class was with fellow instructor Robbie Suhr, back in 1998 on the Marquette Campus. We were in an HTML 3-4 class, with a bunch of other post-bac adults boning up on the early world of HTML. Pages were static, and had the design sensibilities of a grade-school primer.

Then came newer technologies. We both invested in Macromedia's (later Adobe's) Flash. But over time, it seems that the technology (as well as the demands upon it) keeps increasing, shifting, and becoming more heady.

Now it seems that Flash has some security holes to it. So many concerns that Apple prefers not to support it with the iPad, iPods, and iPhones...despite a long time relationship with Adobe.

There are, however, alternate technologies. jQuery, java, CSS, and the looming change in HTML standards could make things a non-issue. Here are two sites that you may find helpful if you (like me- a designer who happens to do some web) are looking to avoid some of the Flash that may or may not be in the future of the web. (The Smash Blog itself is an awesome all-around resource for design technology in general btw)
jQuery techniques

CSS techniques