Acceptable to not have a splash page?

**SpockBert** · 09-09-2003, 06:32 AM

I'm at that point (where I get every few months) that my site needs some updating to its look and functionality.

Do you think its ok to get rid of the tiresome "this site requires flash...yadda yadda yadda....two buttons ENTER SITE...GET FLASH

Just a bit bored of it and thinking about killing the splash page, just so people get to the action/content bit quicker.

What do you think, do you fellas use splash screens yourself?

Interested to hear your thoughts on the matter.

***gerbick*** · 09-09-2003, 06:54 AM

splash screens are not needed.

unless it says "coming soon" like mine always have said...

**Subway** · 09-09-2003, 07:05 AM

I did one for my HTML page. Why? I wanted a first page that gives you a better idea of what the site is all about and loads fast. The main page is more like a portal with a lot of informations, so it can happen that new visitors don't realise what it is all about, especially if the news and blog post has something off topic in it.

Btw, can you check this page and tell me if the big IP adress on that huge robot thingie is in the middle? I generate the picture with PHP and I'm not sure if it shows up properly with every IP address and system.

Fredi

**SpockBert** · 09-09-2003, 07:25 AM

Hi Subway

Yeah see what your saying, I've always thought of the page just to check the users understand the site requires flash etc. Never really thought of it before as a way of very quickly outlining what the main site is about.

hmmm...descisons...kill the page altogether or make it more useful

btw, that ip is spot on in the middle, great looking site that

**1stbite** · 09-09-2003, 07:36 AM

think it depends on the site, one I am working on now will have a splash page, but it is required as the viewers may need to download articles off the site so I have a Flash and Text Only buttons, obviously the text only is very basic html website where articles can be downloaded and taken to meetings/used for press releases etc.
main flash is for the general public to get the info in full colour and all its glory...

**Subway** · 09-09-2003, 07:45 AM

Originally posted by SpockBert
btw, that ip is spot on in the middle, great looking site that

Thx. Was it a 10, 11 or 12 character wide (without the dots) IP?

Fredi

**phreakdevil** · 09-09-2003, 08:05 AM

Originally posted by Subway
Thx. Was it a 10, 11 or 12 character wide (without the dots) IP?

Fredi

9 actually, is it suppose to show my real ip, because is wrong.

**SpockBert** · 09-09-2003, 08:13 AM

10 mate, without the dots.

But while we're on the subject of dots! looking a your splash page (very nice by the way) theres a dot between the O and G of ROGOT, that supposed to be there?

**Subway** · 09-09-2003, 08:14 AM

Originally posted by phreakdevil
9 actually, is it suppose to show my real ip, because is wrong.

Yeah, it should show your real IP. Hmmm ... I use:

PHP Code:


$text = $_SERVER ['REMOTE_ADDR' ];

Maybe that was wrong.

Fredi

**Subway** · 09-09-2003, 08:16 AM

Originally posted by SpockBert
But while we're on the subject of dots! looking a your splash page (very nice by the way) theres a dot between the O and G of ROGOT, that supposed to be there?

Yes. That has changed. As in Robot got World. At the time I started the project, Rogot was a mix between Rogot and Lego. (The old Lego Bot pictures)

Fredi

**SpockBert** · 09-09-2003, 08:25 AM

love that Fredi Bach picture you got on there.

Was going to steal it for my desktop

so i clicked on it and big colour image pops up, i actually prefer the colours and composition of the black and white image.

**Subway** · 09-09-2003, 08:29 AM

Originally posted by SpockBert
i actually prefer the colours and composition of the black and white image.

Me too, but I don't change it now. Maybe later after I finished all my work, ask me in a year or two.

Fredi

**mx_kid** · 09-09-2003, 08:39 AM

just use a flash sniffer and send them to flashindex.htm or htmlindex.htm

**hurricaneone** · 09-09-2003, 08:47 AM

I'm not a big fan of the splashpage.

Especially really arty ones that tell you nothing and simply display the designer's Photoshop skillz. And take days to download.

These days, I'm thinking that the Flash player is no longer a choice. It is a necessary part of browsing the net, and as such, if the user doesn't have it, then they can be considered an ill-equipped surfer.

It's time to stop blaming the Flash. Blame the user.

**vampstko** · 09-09-2003, 01:06 PM

splash pages r soo 90's

**CNO** · 09-09-2003, 01:12 PM

Originally posted by mx_kid
just use a flash sniffer and send them to flashindex.htm or htmlindex.htm

I'll second this.

Get a copy of the Flash Deployment Kit (free download) and auto-redirect your users to the proper page.

http://www.macromedia.com/software/f...detection_kit/

**hurricaneone** · 09-09-2003, 01:18 PM

Originally posted by CNO
Get a copy of the Flash Deployment Kit...

That kit is, without a doubt, more of a pain in the arse than it's worth.

If that's the method a designer chooses to go with, IMO it's easier and quicker to make one and set it up yourself.

**CNO** · 09-09-2003, 01:30 PM

Originally posted by hurricaneone
That kit is, without a doubt, more of a pain in the arse than it's worth.

If that's the method a designer chooses to go with, IMO it's easier and quicker to make one and set it up yourself.

Well yeah, in that respect the Dreamweaver image rollovers and other components are needlessly bloated too. I'd encourage anyone to roll their own, but it's always better to put the burden on the developer than the user.

**hurricaneone** · 09-09-2003, 01:51 PM

Originally posted by CNO
...but it's always better to put the burden on the developer than the user.

Ah, 'tis a noble thought.

The problem I think MM face is that as the developers, they are beholden to accomodate each and every potential use of a tool, kit, component etc, and so this overly wide range of features ends up being included in every deployment, 10% of which are utilized at any given inclusion, leaving the end viewer to have their bandwidth bring down 90% trash.

And if they didn't include all the eventualities, I'd probably complain that what I wanted to do was unavailable.

**SpockBert** · 09-09-2003, 04:31 PM

I'm ashamed to say I've never had to make a proper sniffer!

I can do one in Flash that checks for the latest version of Flash, thats simple enough, done those before for stuff that won't work in flash4. Not sure how you do one that checks for Flash altogether though.

Guess you have the Flash redirect to say "entersite.html" but what if the user doesn't have flash installed? won't it automatically just redirect them to the macromedia site? I guess ideally you'd want to redirect them to "thissiteneedsflash.html" with some instructions and a link to the macromedia site on there.

sure I'll find out what i'm looking for in the right forums here though

I'll check out that deployment kit though.

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