http://anthonyfranco.wordpress.com/2007/06/22/flex-and-ajax-friends-or-foes/

(sorry, had a rough day today and just needed to vent – that felt good)

(I wasn’t able to understand The Register’s emphasis on markup and cookies either, but I know that other staffers have been working with those authors.)

90%-95% Of all these complaints can be solved by creating a web application with XML output that can be adapted for HTML and Flash. And HTML is also abused a lot too, just as Flash.

I don’t see why a site would always have to be one OR the other, when often it’s better to leave the option for the user.

Since Flash deals very nicely with XML, your content can rest very easily in a minimalistic Flash website, and use a display template for viewing via HTML.

This can also solve the plugin download issue, since the content is exactly the same, the display method can be seamlessly swapped for HTML.

Storing content in XML also solves the localization problem, since it’s a matter of getting a different definition set based on browser settings or whatever interface selection is required.

Problem solved!

There’s a time and a place for everything, and HTML can’t cut it all the time.
In fact, even WordPress uses a flash app for showing stats. It’s, obviously, just more effective in rich UIs than HTML.

A little planning goes a long way to solve both HTML and Flash “problems”

I hear this a ton: “Why do the extra work to build something in Flash?” … what you are really saying is “Why do the extra work to engage my customers?” … the reality is that you can build 2 applications using an integrated content management system to drive both. For some organizations, building a accessible, SEO and engaging application cost prohibitive; they have to make a choice on one or the other. However, for government and large enterprises, it makes sense for them to differentiate on usability. In those cases, creating segmented user experiences for specific users has a much higher return on investment than creating one experience that has to suit everybody. If architected correctly, building 2, 3 or 4 different applications does not have to be 2, 3, or 4 times as expensive.

Also, to answer your question “do most people use best practices when building RIAs?” — than answer is “not yet, so you should hire a company to get you on the right path” – [insert shameless self promotion here] ;)

-Anthony

Also, your first item points out several ways one could reduce the footprint… but do most people do so?

Having read their article this morning I expected to find all of Adobe-land up in arms to battle this new, yet vaguely-similar-to-the-old-XSS-exploits that are warned about in documentation, best practises and such.

Needless to say, I found no such uproar.

Now, back to celebrating Sir Isaac Newtonmas!

(I wasn’t able to understand The Register’s emphasis on markup and cookies either, but I know that other staffers have been working with those authors.)