Flash Hijacked – Let Our Soundcard Go!

So let’s start off with a disclaimer: This article is not in anyway intended to diminish the numerous, dynamic advancements that Flash has introduced into the design and development community. This is not the kind of article meant to demean its many valuable contributions that have had a transforming effect since the program’s inception.

We have, in fact, acknowledged the desire of the design community to use this staple for video creation and web inclusion when we put together the post Tutorials That Will Teach You Flash. So we get it, we do. All we’re are saying is that it’s not all good, all the time.

In fact, with all of the positives that this program can yield, we only have one complaint. So it’s not even like our complaint really brings down the average at all. And that complaint is this: Stop hijacking our sound!

If we want to listen to what ever it is you’ve deemed so necessary, then we will make the necessary adjustments to make your sound audible. But you should never get to make that decision for us. That’s the point.

Now we are not trying to get belligerent and begin claiming that this is in any way a civil liberties issue. We are not proclaiming that it is some kind of constitutionally guaranteed citizen’s right to have full control over their soundcard at all times. Though it should be.

So that is what we are saying. An amendment would be nice, but we’ll settle for an honest handshake and a meaningful word. Because it’s just so annoying sometimes. Isn’t it?

It’s not our fault that the audio accompaniment that you find so enthralling, to us is akin to fingernails across a chalkboard. Now it is completely within the rights of the designer when using Flash to include the fingernails across a chalkboard into their creation. We are simply putting forth that we should not be forced to suffer through this kind of unexpected and uninvited interruption should we choose not to. Is that really too much to ask?

Bottom line, your design is your design. And at the end of the day, the choice is yours if you want to include some kind of sound to help convey your site, your message, or whatever. But maybe you should ask yourself how necessary this element of your design really is. Does it truly aid the overall creation? Or is it completely superfluous, and merely thrown in because you think it’s kind of cool?

Perhaps you should figure into your calculations of necessity that many people do not share your sentiment, and may not return to your site or even stick around to absorb any of it in the first place. Based solely on this one element. If it doesn’t aid the design, it detracts from it. Or so we’ve heard. We are pretty sure we read that somewhere. Long way around, let our soundcards go!