What's wrong with weather web sites?

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat May 06, 2006 3:33 pm

For once i'd like a weather page that uses flash to navigate around the map. Something that's about as good as google maps.

weather.com... yahoo weather.. All of them are all crapy html,java, or realplayer sites...

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Sat May 06, 2006 3:47 pm

http://www.theweathernetwork.com

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:27 pm

CDN_Merlin wrote:http://www.theweathernetwork.com

my point, exactly.

Genghis · Post by **Genghis** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:37 pm

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat May 06, 2006 4:42 pm

Genghis wrote:http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

You're right! That is just another html page.

It bet it's going to be like independence day when weather pages discover flash.

TechPro · Post by **TechPro** » Sat May 06, 2006 5:13 pm

Isaac wrote:I bet it's going to be like independence day when weather pages discover flash.

As if that was the answer...

In all reality... many of those pages (including http://www.intellicast.com) do a fine job and work well for many systems. Sure Flash can do some cool and nice stuff... but Flash isn't the answer for some systems.

The point is... use what works for you. If you can't find anything that works for you... you have three choices

1. Re-evaluate... is what you're after practical/possible... and could it be your system?
2. Make one that works for you.
3. Don't complain and use the best you can find.

My 2 cents.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat May 06, 2006 5:45 pm

TechPro wrote:
Isaac wrote:I bet it's going to be like independence day when weather pages discover flash.
As if that was the answer...

In all reality... many of those pages (including http://www.intellicast.com) do a fine job and work well for many systems. Sure Flash can do some cool and nice stuff... but Flash isn't the answer for some systems.

The point is... use what works for you. If you can't find anything that works for you... you have three choices
1. Re-evaluate... is what you're after practical/possible... and could it be your system?
2. Make one that works for you.
3. Don't complain and use the best you can find.
My 2 cents.

My problem is that they COULD use flash to display weather patterns, but don't! ONly god knows why they don't, but it WOULD be better.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:41 pm

considering weather maps are nothing but a slideshow anyways, how exactly would flash be an improvement?

Unix · Post by **Unix** » Sat May 06, 2006 7:52 pm

It's pretty.

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Sat May 06, 2006 8:08 pm

Issac. With flash, and java, some network securiteis won't allow. it. They are interested in making themselves viewable to as many as possible. Personally, I'll take a html site over a flash site any day.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat May 06, 2006 9:26 pm

Duper wrote:Issac. With flash, and java, some network securiteis won't allow. it. They are interested in making themselves viewable to as many as possible. Personally, I'll take a html site over a flash site any day.

So lets say you want to check out a single area. And you had 3 choices in user interphase:

1. you could type in your address in six different ways, till it recognizes what you're saying.
2. Click a box to zoom in, but have to refresh the whole page every time you make a movement.
3. Actually just zoom in on an area, with a click and a drag, to see what's happening there. Pan around a bit for fun and be done.

There’s no way html or java can beat a flash page, when it comes to viewing a map. I don't think you’re not telling the truth.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sat May 06, 2006 10:57 pm

Look if logic cant make you all agree with me, this will.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Sat May 06, 2006 11:35 pm

It's absolutely possible that an HTML page can beat a Flash page. Flash just gets in the way of information. Nothing is worse than using Flash just for the sake of using it. Weather pages don't need it. Their job is to report the weather and provide forecasts and statistics quickly and easily.

The most plausible reason the NWS site doesn't use it (http://www.weather.gov) is because the government has certain rules about web site accessibility. Yes, this is why a lot of government web sites seem \"boring,\" but it's in the interest of spreading information to as wide a demographic as possible. How can people who rely on screen readers or braille to interpret Flash? How can people who don't have Flash to begin with expect to keep up-to-date with the most recent versions? What about people like me who disable Flash because the crappy ads it renders outweigh the positives?

Oh yes, there are many reasons to not use Flash.

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Sun May 07, 2006 12:26 am

Thank you Kyouryuu. My thoughts exactly, but i didn't think it would be necessary to go into all that. Oh well.

IMO flash is just that.. \"flash\". It's eyecandy and not necessary. It's an art medium.

The little Ninjia is a great example of what can be done with flash, but on websites, I don't care to have stuff jumping around and blinking and have to go through a freekin \"intro\" every time I want to see a site. (ok.. that sentence was way too long)

I guess the old worn-out argument \"get with the times\" could be used, but every generation uses that at some time. The thing is that those of usewho did when we were young now realise that \"the times\" is nothing more than the past rehashed with a fresh coat of paint.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sun May 07, 2006 12:39 am

ok sure there are people who would go use an html site if they don't like flash.

here is a great example:
Imagine this \"flash\" map was displaying weather patterns... (clickity)
Duper and Kyouryuu, why would that not be the best way to view weather?

Also notice that this page isnt flashy or artsy in any way. .........pwnd.

Tricord · Post by **Tricord** » Sun May 07, 2006 3:42 am

Isaac wrote:Duper and Kyouryuu, why would that not be the best way to view weather?

Best way to view the weather is to look out your window

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Sun May 07, 2006 4:34 am

True Tricord

Isaac. Doppler radar in loop and updated satillite photo's are not a flash medium. not \"pwnd\" its just not NECESSARY. html works fine and is easier to code.

write your congressman. that's what they're there for.

Diedel · Post by **Diedel** » Sun May 07, 2006 11:48 am

The German word for 'meteorologist' is 'Meteorologe'. The German word for 'lie' is 'Lüge' (with umlaut 'u', or 'Luege' to replace the umlaut with 'ue'). So we sometimes call them 'Meteorolüge' ('Meteoroluege' for those whos comp cannot display umlauts).

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sun May 07, 2006 3:34 pm

ok i'm going to talk to a few weather stations and see if they'd do it. If they do i'll post it here and you all see, im not crazy!!!

aldel · Post by **aldel** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:37 pm

I don't think Google Maps uses Flash at all. I heard it was an Ajax application, meaning it's all Javascript.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:41 pm

aldel wrote:I don't think Google Maps uses Flash at all. I heard it was an Ajax application, meaning it's all Javascript.

blast!

Duper · Post by **Duper** » Sun May 07, 2006 7:44 pm

yea, i was going to say..

no. not weather stations.. YOUR CONGRESSMEN!!!

why? because the weather web sites that you are refering to are hosted by the government and there is funding that needs to be appropriated to \"update\" the entire freeking site(s) to flash. ...that's a lot of hours.

I wasn't being flip.

Top Gun · Post by **Top Gun** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:20 pm

Diedel wrote:The German word for 'meteorologist' is 'Meteorologe'. The German word for 'lie' is 'Lüge' (with umlaut 'u', or 'Luege' to replace the umlaut with 'ue'). So we sometimes call them 'Meteorolüge' ('Meteoroluege' for those whos comp cannot display umlauts).

Too bad we can't do something that clever in English. Here we just call them "idiots."

TigerRaptor · Post by **TigerRaptor** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:26 pm

Who gives a crap what weather sites use. They provide detailed information within your area and easy to use. End of story.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Sun May 07, 2006 8:34 pm

TigerRaptorFX wrote:Who gives a crap what weather sites use. They provide detailed information within your area and easy to use. End of story.

Dude.. all of my topic in the cafe have been about pointless things.

TigerRaptor · Post by **TigerRaptor** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:10 am

For something so pointless you sure made it sound serious.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:21 am

TigerRaptorFX wrote:For something so pointless you sure made it sound serious.

You should see what i say on anteaters and octopuses.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:35 pm

Good luck man. Flash hasn't been used for a number of reasons.

1. Like mentioned before, some sites don't allow flash to be installed.
2. Not everyone is running a decent machine.
3. Not everyone has broadband. Ever visit places like joecartoon or other similar sites on dial-up? One little two little three little megabytes....and twenty minutes later it finally laods.

The way sites like intellicast are setup, even the radar loops load in under a minute on dial-up. In short, HELL NO to flash!

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Mon May 08, 2006 1:40 pm

the cool died in this thread

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:23 pm

Flash is 99% Bad Mkay.

Isaac, you really need to understand the web before touting something which is inappropriate to use.

As far as I'm concerned, 99% of flash IS bad: there are VERY few times and places where flash will do something that HTML can't do, and can't do easy, and quickly.

Wherever you see flash used, you need to ask yourself \"could it have been done in HTML?\" - and if the answer is \"yes\" then it should, most certainly NOT have been done usign flash.

Flash is for the display of content which HTML can not handle - EXCLUSIVELY. Banner adverts are about the only thing which flash is exceptionally good at, in a common environment.

Please: you do NOT need flash to display a weather map, nor to control your website's navigation, nor to display static content.

There ARE some jobs for which flash is very well suited (Our company used flash to build a simply stupendous front end for a Hedge Fund management company) but it is mostly just webmaster masturbation.

For the best use of flash ever, see www.becominghuman.org, and view the documentary. It'll take you at least an hour to explore the whole thing.

Sir Sam II · Post by **Sir Sam II** » Mon May 08, 2006 3:43 pm

If you know Donald C. Johanson tell him I would like to give him a Holy Bible

TigerRaptor · Post by **TigerRaptor** » Mon May 08, 2006 10:13 pm

Isaac wrote:You should see what i say on anteaters and octopuses.

I'll pass.

Isaac · Post by **Isaac** » Tue May 09, 2006 10:42 am

Mobius wrote:Flash is 99% Bad Mkay.

Isaac, you really need to understand the web before touting something which is inappropriate to use.

As far as I'm concerned, 99% of flash IS bad: there are VERY few times and places where flash will do something that HTML can't do, and can't do easy, and quickly.

Wherever you see flash used, you need to ask yourself "could it have been done in HTML?" - and if the answer is "yes" then it should, most certainly NOT have been done usign flash.

Flash is for the display of content which HTML can not handle - EXCLUSIVELY. Banner adverts are about the only thing which flash is exceptionally good at, in a common environment.

Please: you do NOT need flash to display a weather map, nor to control your website's navigation, nor to display static content.

There ARE some jobs for which flash is very well suited (Our company used flash to build a simply stupendous front end for a Hedge Fund management company) but it is mostly just webmaster masturbation.

For the best use of flash ever, see www.becominghuman.org, and view the documentary. It'll take you at least an hour to explore the whole thing.

"Frequently updating content (Flash content tends to be created once and then left alone)." - yes... it would be impossible.

Yes.. i can code. I know what i'm talking about. And the fact that you think flash is only a "fun art" toy, proves how much you know about the net.

Oh god.. that's it... im making a demo to shut you all up. *runs off to the bat cave*

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:05 am

flash is good for games, and sites that don't offer anything of functional value. The web isn't about gawking at it.

You don't need to provide more proof that you have too much time on your hands Issac.

What's wrong with weather web sites?

What's wrong with weather web sites?

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re:

Re: