ANSWERED AND CLOSED

[developette]

I read this thread from the beginning to end. In the end, couldn't resist the temptation of adding to it.

Many of you have immediately jumped to the defence of Swish, but without considering all sides of the story. What I read seemed like an opinion had been passed without gathering all the facts.

Some of you are extremely selective over quotes used rather than considering ALL quotes used.

Firstly, I am interested to know how many of the posters were actually at FF2K London? I was there, I sat less than 20ft from Mr Dawes when he made his presentation.

The sentiment of the majority of this thread talks about his condemnation of Swish, when actually this is far from the truth. Mr Dawes actually said that he wasn't out to bash any products, and that Swish was very good at what it does. In fact, his opinion was that "the product's incredible range of capabilities also leads to its misuse".

His comparison with Mariah Carey was not that she is a poor singer, but, that "Mariah Carey has an 8 octave range, but did you ever notice she can't sing a bloody thing without singing all 8 octaves!"

So, far from critisizing the product, he was actually drawing attention to potential Swish user abuse!

His delivery was witty, articulate and warm, I cannot imagine that anyone in the auditorium felt that he had a vendetta against anyone or any product.

Hillman Curtis introduced Mr Dawes at one of the US conferences as someone who had been a major influence on him, his chapter in New Masters of Flash and his award winning Saul Bass site are a couple of indications of his credentials. I only mention this, because the theme of his presentation was about approach and thought processes when creating, which he is undoubtedly qualified to talk about.

Don't take things out of context, his concern was for Swish abuse, not Swish.

[mutha_bored]

Originally posted by diavolo
I was not at Flash Foward 2000. But after reading the macromedia article and then seeing your presentation, it seems to me that you were trying to bash swish. Why must you be a Jakob Nielsen and try to bash a good program? It's not the program that makes bad design, it's the user. Why are you trying to stirr up the flash community and gain notoriety with a cheap shot?

Let me also add ...I have heard of Swish, but I have never until this day heard of Brendan Dawes.

Any comments?

diavolo

just because you have never heard of 'BD' doesn't mean he doesn't exist, you haven't seen his work?... 'psycho studio' clascic!

i agree with the 'swish free zone', i've used it, then sacked the idea off.

when you see it used you think 'oh wow they've used swish'

it a load of bullicks...
not sandra

[mb]

[David Michie]

developette,

The sentiment of the majority of this thread talks about his condemnation of Swish, when actually this is far from the truth. Mr Dawes actually said that he wasn't out to bash any products, and that Swish was very good at what it does. In fact, his opinion was that "the product's incredible range of capabilities also leads to its misuse".

Perhaps this is the case -- I wasn't there I don't know. All I know is the report on the Macromedia website doesn't read like this, and Brendan definitely defaced the Swish logo on his website.

Here is the report:
http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia...age_nov28.html

And here is the most relevant quote...

So, drawing on his experience working with Hillman Curtis and as an independent interactive designer, Dawes gets down to the business of delivering guidelines for good Macromedia Flash use. His first proclamation: the lecture hall is now a "No SWISH Text Zone." (The audience begins to laugh in appreciation.) "Flying letters are like a cancer! They're starting to creep into TVs, movies, everything!"

Dawes likens exploding, swooping, and flying text to the much-reviled blink tag, "and you know people who used that were taken out into the street and stoned."

Cheers, David

[almark]

The time has come to close this thread!

Almost everyone has had their say, and I do not believe there is much more to be said.

I don't think keeping it open any longer will serve any useful purpose.