Based on what assumption?

IE/Firefox abides by caching standards regardless of extension. SWF caches identically to JPG or GIF on a disk based level.

I've changed the post. I got mixed up.

Either way, a Flash banner is not good for a forum and never have been. Nearly all forums have a well designed banner that does not use Flash.

Based on what assumption?

No assumption. All forums that I visit have no Flash banner.

To quote a post at http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=540577

It's more complicated than whether you like flash or not -- it's all about target audience and application. Some websites are a perfect fit for flash, others aren't. It's when someone uses flash to build something that's not suited to a flash site that flash gets a bad name.

A forum is not the best site to use Flash for a banner. A movie site or even a web design companies site is (for example).

In fact, the only site I have designed that has Flash, only has it on the index page.

I think I have even read in the past that Flash is now like the blinking text or animated GIFS when they were overused.

Finally, the Flash banner is doing the same start animation sequence every time you view a page. It's not that visually appealing either (too big for the lack of content).

It would be wise to have a poll to see what the users think of it.

Perhaps, but I'm not going to take advice from Whirlpool of all places :\

Whirlpool was the closest example I had for a quote. Not sure why you would not take advice from them seeing as there are professional designers that visit Whirlpool.

My last words on this are that a well designed banner can look visually appealing. Also, if you looked at most forums, you will not see Flash banners. Even IPS doesn't have one. They have a professionally designed banner.

pgdownload is right about the banner size on his resolution (I guess he's using 800x600). I just used the web developer tools resize function to see how the front page looks at 800x600 and you don't see much until you scroll down. The same goes for 1024x576.

Caniffe, you keep on going on about the size difference of the banner. Looking at the DBA banner and this one, there is only 6 pixels difference. A 100 pixel (height) banner should be the largest.

Damn!

Missed so much in so little time! {Oh well, some might argue my best web design days were last century,anyway! }

I have always been of the opinion that, from a design/aesthetic point of view, animated banners are simply a distraction ... ie: more people dislike them, than like them.

An animation which is short, runs once per visit to a site (rather than once per page) may be tolerable, but any that are animated either permanently, or per-page just become an annoyance.

(If animations are permanent or per-page, then usually the smaller the better.)

WRT The Google ads .... please NEVER put them down the side of pages!

{Alternatively, if you've been itching for a way to get rid of Santa ... put Google ads down the side of the page!}

In general, when it comes to ads ... remember just what lengths so many forum members go to, in order to avoid ads on TV!

new banner looks great. theres still a bit of the old banner still showing to the right though. correction looks liek it jsut got fixed ! well done

No probs with the speed here.

The remnants of the old banner are still there. http://www.evandavis.id.au/dtv/forum1.jpg

The announcement page on the other hand is just woeful http://www.evandavis.id.au/dtv/forum2.jpg

Evan :->

Force refresh your cache. The old banner background is still in the browsers cache and it hasn't updated.

Re the announcement banner, why not send a personal message to all users?

Evan :->

Re the announcement banner, why not send a personal message to all users?

Or even a mass email out.

Although either method would annoy users as well.

In regards the new banner, maybe it can be live on the main index, and static when everywhere else in the forum. Perhaps thats a compromise thats worth considering to satisfy the anti flash contingent and yet have a nice main page to the forum.

In regards the new banner, maybe it can be live on the main index, and static when everywhere else in the forum. Perhaps thats a compromise thats worth considering to satisfy the anti flash contingent and yet have a nice main page to the forum.

It would be possible even if some PHP coding is done (I haven't played with IPB since the early betas of v2 so I am not sure how easy it would be) to make the flash image only appear on the index.

Something like

if ($act=="idx"){
show_flash_banner();
}else{
show_static_banner();
}

I have put the two things in functions as I can't be bothered writting the code for each of them, but that's the basic idea.

Kenneth - my point about the size difference between this and the old banner was that a few were going on about "how much bigger" the new banner is.

It isn't.

Which debunks their screen space argument, because it wasn't a problem before.

In regards the new banner, maybe it can be live on the main index, and static when everywhere else in the forum. Perhaps thats a compromise thats worth considering to satisfy the anti flash contingent and yet have a nice main page to the forum.

Kenneth - my point about the size difference between this and the old banner was that a few were going on about "how much bigger" the new banner is.

It isn't.

Which debunks their screen space argument, because it wasn't a problem before.

any thoughts to the concession/compromise suggested above caniffe, appears as pr kenneth it might be possible and then maybe not so much a bug bear amongst people?

Which debunks their screen space argument, because it wasn't a problem before.

Understandable.

I wish sometimes threads could be merged!

I find it very confusing that these two threads are running in parallel.

Discussion: Forum structure

Poll: Discussion :- Changes to the Forum

I wish sometimes threads could be merged!

I find it very confusing that these two threads are running in parallel.

Discussion: Forum structure

Poll: Discussion :- Changes to the Forum

This forum is for a very select group of forum members - the other forum is for all members to contribute. With the change in the control of the forum - I wanted to be able to guage the general response and it has been interesting.

Looks like the poll vote is against the flash at this stage - so the star is probably going to disappear into a black hole!

Tim.

This forum is for a very select group of forum members - the other forum is for all members to contribute. With the change in the control of the forum - I wanted to be able to guage the general response and it has been interesting.

Looks like the poll vote is against the flash at this stage - so the star is probably going to disappear into a black hole!

Tim.

OK OK. Didn't realise it was still restricted. Pitty about the star, I like it.

~ Pitty about the star, I like it.

yes pity about the star indeed timo, liek it too

any chance of the compromise I psoted further up

http://www.dtvforum.info/index.php?s=&show...ndpost&p=435896

flash only on the front main page but while viewing all other pages/sub forums you get a static banner ?

timo have just noticed we no longer have on the forum banner or any where else any link directing to www.dba.org.au wesite

not sure if this is intentional. but dont think thats good as the dba site is a very good source of info dtv related and promoting the technology with latest news etc...by the way is anyone going to be updating news there last news bulitin was apr-may

timo have just noticed we no longer have on the forum banner or any where else any link directing to www.dba.org.au wesite

not sure if this is intentional. but dont think thats good as the dba site is a very good source of info dtv related and promoting the technology with latest news etc...by the way is anyone going to be updating news there last news bulitin was apr-may

I actually was not at all disappointed to see that link gone! Always used to accidentally hit it instead of the link to the DTV Forum front-page, just next to it ... and didn't much care for the fake links on it.

And don't get me started on the always-out-of-date programming lists!

Santa,

The links on the DBA website still work.

Tim,

Will these links continue to work on the DBA website?

AlanH

Maybe replace the flash with an animated GIF that keeps the star?