Ya know flash can be progressively enhanced actually easier than JS/HTML5 can. You literally make a div tag with your simple SEO/mobile html content, then use swfobject to embed the flash, it replaces the div content and shows the users the right stuff when it can, and people and search engines see the degraded version when they can’t. It’s even easier than noscript tags.

That’s it, 5 minutes and you’ve made your full flash website 100% degradable to work on mobiles, great for search engines, etc. Couple that with some very simple things like using SWFAddress for deeplinking and some sound design principals and you literally end up with a site that has all the animation/graphic abilities of flash, and zero of the downsides people talk about. It’s been a LOOOOOONG time since flash was a problem, keep up with the times people :)

Xml to Cms is a powerful web-app that let to turn any valid xml file into an instant content manager solution.

“my moms iphone won’t load flash websites…”

Zach, there are so many things wrong with your statement and comments like that can’t be taken seriously.

@Hregrin

I will have a chat with any blind internet user any time you like. I have been developing applications that need to be accessible to blind users, we use different tools to allow users with disabilities to have a great experience and this is not one thing that we test in our computer and then let out in the wild.

We have teams dedicated to test all and each are of the experience so that it is flawless and we are not worried only about blind users but also users that are not able to distinguish different shades of colors so the design goes through a tough process that enables us test the site in different light environments, accessibility environments and finally every single area of the site has to be read out loud correctly for those users who are not able to see the content properly.

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I am not a HTML5 hater but when people just spit words out without thinking or having the experience with the software it makes me upset.

Yes, mom and pop’s shop may not have enough money to pay for a dedicated team to make their site accessible but please do not insult every site out there or the software itself just because its not “SEO” or has “accessible” issues.

Oh if you are curios I have built applications with Flash, Flex, JS+HTML and Silverlight along with working with different back-end technologies. I am currently creating applications for Fortune 100 companies and because of this we have to be making Flash accessible for years.

So next time you come and tell me why you hate Flash, please tell me how many Applications that serve thousands of users per hour you have made and then we can chat.

Flash can be great to use for some parts of a website, banners, small apps, but please, not for content…

Trends against flash:
1. Of course, jquery, mootools et al. mimic flash’s rich media capabilities. But what’s wrong that: no plugins, broader availability, lots cheaper development, you name it…

2. HTML 5 (combined with 1): utube and the porn industry switch to html 5 for video. Not my type of thing, but let’s face it: there’s not much more to “rich media” then video and those guys set the standards.

3. iphone and -more important for full-fetched websites- the ridiculous pad will NEVER support flash.

Development for flash:
1. Real big brands/ sites you’d use flex -not flash- for development, anyway. Of course, still flash output but forget any of those cms portraied.

2. Of course, Google can partly “read” flash content as long as it is really text (flash-internally). And yes, you can have “real” URLs. There are frameworks like Gaia helping you with it. Program a bridge to your favourite cms and you’re done. Middle-size projects like 8,000 or higher I’d say…

cheers

Again, it has been difficult to produce quality SEO for the website, but it is still a great Flash website and Flash CMS.