http://millionclues.com/problogging/wordpress-tips/make-your-theme-wordpress-3-0-compatible/

http://www.610design.com/coding/8-useful-code-snippets-for-wordpress-3-0/

Maybe not, but the boat is sinking and I’ve abandoned ship.

Coming from an animation background, Flash was a natural progression for me. Using the timeline, keyframes and animation tools instantly made sense. Flash made simple 2D animation a breeze. Which is what the program was designed to do. For better or worse, designers and developers soon realized its potential as a web tool due to the small file size output. And when people got a taste of “moving websites” there was money to be made. It was like a bunch of kids seeing their first flaming skull GIF animation on America Online. As a result, Flash was my first real introduction in to web design, banner animation and even programming. At the time, coding Flash was easier for me than developing an XHTML/CSS based site. There was no hassle of cross browser compatibility and I could charge more money for it. I wasn’t alone. Other designers realized they didn’t have to be a genius developer to master all the creative uses of gotoAndPlay. Then came AS3. We shuddered at the thought of having to learn a real coding language. Adobe managed to alienate the very people that made Flash a popular web application. And as the web evolved, the flashiness of Flash has become less cool and more annoying. The demand for content managed websites rendered Flash unpractical and costly.

My first major corporate job rode the initial popularity of Flash. They created very high quality content managed Flash websites and applications. The sites were amazing. There’s no doubt that a Flash project in the hands of the right team can become the coolest web application on the block. So what’s the problem? Why did I abandon ship? Where’s the love?

Cost — What I would consider a “good” Flash site is usually designed and developed for a fortune 500 company and costs well upwards of 6 figures. In fact, don’t even consider owning a great Flash site unless you’re willing to pay more than the cost of a house for a virtual application. That’s all well and good, but a million dollar website requires more overhead and employees than most small design shops have at their disposal.

Updates — Updating a Flash site is a nightmare for the client and the developer. Explaining how to update a Flash site to a client is about as much fun as having your wisdom teeth removed. If you want a true content managed Flash site, be prepared to shell out the big bucks. Hack job content management solutions that consist of uploading XML and text files via an FTP program are just as much of a headache as having no content management.

Practicality — There’s no practical consistency to the design and development of Flash sites. There are no standards. Every Flash designer and developer wants to create a website that’s never been seen before. The problem with that is, well, it’s never been seen before. Buttons magically appear out of nowhere, transition animations take 5 minutes and sound effects interrupt the Jack Johnson song you have playing in the background. Not only is it unpractical, it’s annoying.

User Experience — This term has been thrown around a lot lately. Some people may argue that Flash websites have a strong user experience. In fact, I’ve heard Flash websites referred to as more than a website — rather an interactive experience. Yeah, again… that may be true for a few hundred thousand dollars. However, I’m willing to wager that most people don’t want to spend a great deal of time on those interactive experiences. A great Flash site may leave a lasting impression, but is generally a one night stand.

More recently I have come to believe that most good Flash websites are merely a way for large companies to blow their obscene amounts of money on brand recognition.

Or, they are created by companies that are flexing their Flash muscles in an attempt to attract the eye of large companies with copious amount of cash ready to blow. That makes Flash nearly obsolete for 98% of the web community — unless you want an annoying website.

I don’t want to sound like I am totally dissing Flash. It has a sentimental attachment for me — like playing an Atari game. I think Flash, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose. That purpose being it’s original usage, 2D animation. Other potentially acceptable purposes are web banners and advertisements, games, sIFR text (hence the lovely dynamic “Archer” font used on Muku), micro sites that never need to be updated and perhaps the occasional portfolio site. Even still, most of the Flash flashiness can be accomplished these days without the use of Flash.

If you find yourself clinging to Flash because you invested so much time in the program; I know the feeling. However, I think biting the bullet and learning new means of development for the web is the wiser decision at this point. Unless Flash stages a miraculous come back, may it rest in peace.