Archive: Heavy Sites (Column by Kathy Ritchie) July 2001

From the July 2001 Guest Columnist Page

Heavy Sites !!!

By Kathy Ritchie, Ritchie Secretarial Service

K.R. is our lead columnist and a regular contributor to this E.Zine.

YWe've seen them everywhere on the net, beautiful sites that have the latest and greatest design tactics. Flash, Shockwave, Digital Audio... They're fun and wonderful to look at, but what about those who don't have the capability to view them?

First, the visitor goes to the site. Then they are prompted to download the plugin to view. So, they download the viewer, and that portion of the site comes up fine. Then, they click to another page in the site and are again prompted to download a viewer for yet another type of plugin. I call these sites "heavy".

Using the latest technology to enhance your site should be tempered with caution. Not everyone wants to download all these viewers, especially those visitors who operate on limited systems. Not to mention, those sites that load music for the visitor, without giving us the option of turning it off.

Flash is a great utility that does nearly everything HTML does, but it's slow on older systems and dial up connections. Shockwave is a cool toy but some movies or content may take longer to view or download.

CGI is a wonderful utility. It eases our form E.Mailing, and more. Be cautious however, improperly coded CGI opens holes in the server and leaves your website vulnerable. If you do plan to use CGI, be sure to test it completely to remove bugs before putting it live on your site.

The old adage, "Less is more," is a good rule of thumb unless you are a master web designer. Sometimes, a simple HTML page with a fast-loading background image may suffice.

If you do plan to implement these addins, be sure and offer your visitors a non-Flash, Shockwave or Digital Audio option. Many times, although I have the capabilities to use them, I'll opt for the plain version in order to conclude my business quicker. I save the good stuff for times when business is slow, or off the clock viewing.

© Kathy A. Ritchie, 2001
Kathy Ritchie is a professional virtual assistant and owner of Ritchie Secretarial Service. She has over 12 years experience in office assistance and successful operation of a Virtual Office Assistance practice since June 1996. Visit her award winning website at www.thebestva.com or E.Mail kritchie@thebestva.com for more information.

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