---
layout: post
title: Flash navigaton bars? IE 6 only.
tags: [ design ]
published: true
---
I recall the times I still used Microsoft's IE browser. Every fancy website had
these navigation bars with killer graphics at the time. I wanted to browse
through the still messy deprecated HTML so I could learn myself some new
techniques along my web design debut. i found this `object` tag at the time and
was amazed like "Wow, cool graphics! When do I get the chance to do something
alike?" I found later that it was a Flash object that I consider nowadays to be
a pain in the ass concerning web design standards.

I don't like the way Flash takes over HTML / CSS / Javascript for three reasons:

* It's not Flash's job to BE a website or replace HTML content.
* I hate waiting several seconds to see web content.
* Imagine the Internet download bill...!

Flash is a great technology, I love Youtube. It's fantastic how Flash allows
you to transpose from different video formats into it so people can view it on
the web. But I don't see it as HTML replacer, unless it's IE 6.

IE 6, as you know, is simply the worst web browser ever (if you deny this I
suggest you go to bed and wait until IE shuts down). The CSS `float` property
is not supported. This means if I tried to do this kind navigation bar with
some floated <li> tags, the list would appear top-down..! Designers
thought about this of course and they decided to go for Flash because it had
this chance to show "buttons" and with those killer graphics and hover / click
effects that IE doesn't have except for hyperlinks (even these are limited).

Flash's arrival came just in time. It would bring much greater vision on web
design; kind of cheating but it's ok. Nowadays we can assist beautiful
accomplishments on web design and killer graphics, without Flash. This can now
be assigned to what it's meant to be: non-content interactive action.