Comments on: Add Some Emphasis to Your Site http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/ News, opinion, and fresh thinking for web developers and designers. The official podcast of sitepoint.com. Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:31:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Jonathan Snook - snook.ca http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7815 Jonathan Snook - snook.ca Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7815 <p>The idea to implement an avatar using Flash is a decent idea. It's definitely a step above the Microsoft avatar technology which is IE/Win only.</p> <p>It has some downfalls, though. 1. the site only worked for me in IE. Firefox and Opera didn't work. If I clicked Play, it looked like he just shakes his head at me... In IE, I noticed another bug: when in 'text' mode and I clicked on About, the text didn't match the sound.</p> The idea to implement an avatar using Flash is a decent idea. It’s definitely a step above the Microsoft avatar technology which is IE/Win only.

It has some downfalls, though. 1. the site only worked for me in IE. Firefox and Opera didn’t work. If I clicked Play, it looked like he just shakes his head at me… In IE, I noticed another bug: when in ‘text’ mode and I clicked on About, the text didn’t match the sound.

]]> By: duagne http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7816 duagne Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7816 <p>The avatar thing's an interesting idea, but won't most people find it as annoying as the paper clip on Microsoft Word? Besides that, it doesn't even work properly in Firefox. </p> The avatar thing’s an interesting idea, but won’t most people find it as annoying as the paper clip on Microsoft Word? Besides that, it doesn’t even work properly in Firefox.

]]> By: Seth http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7817 Seth Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7817 <p>I would find it very annoying. If you have to be taught to use a website, then you have usability issues from the star. And do you really want to have an avatar talking to you even after you have already been to the site and know how it works?</p> I would find it very annoying. If you have to be taught to use a website, then you have usability issues from the star. And do you really want to have an avatar talking to you even after you have already been to the site and know how it works?

]]> By: maxor http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7818 maxor Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7818 <p>I agree with duagne, it's like clippy all over again, nobody likes that guy.</p> I agree with duagne, it’s like clippy all over again, nobody likes that guy.

]]> By: willthiswork http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7819 willthiswork Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7819 <p>The little Noah on your site does less funky transformation than the one on Telsim but it seems to do a better job in briefly introducing the contents. Or perhaps I did not like the strong american accent of the other Noah.</p> The little Noah on your site does less funky transformation than the one on Telsim but it seems to do a better job in briefly introducing the contents. Or perhaps I did not like the strong american accent of the other Noah.

]]> By: M36Teen http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7820 M36Teen Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7820 <p>OK, how'd you get a trasparent background in flash? Is that new as of MX '04?</p> OK, how’d you get a trasparent background in flash? Is that new as of MX ‘04?

]]> By: Sergeant http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7821 Sergeant Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7821 <p>you can do it in your html code...</p> <p><PARAM NAME="wmode" VALUE="transparent"></p> <p>put this inside your flash <object> tags</p> <p>beware, this does not work in Opera, it does work in Firefox and Internet Explorer.</p> <p>This is not new as of mx '04, it existed before</p> you can do it in your html code…

put this inside your flash tags

beware, this does not work in Opera, it does work in Firefox and Internet Explorer.

This is not new as of mx ‘04, it existed before

]]> By: M36Teen http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7822 M36Teen Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7822 <p>Thanks Sergeant! :-)</p> Thanks Sergeant! :-)

]]> By: TelSim Tim http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7823 TelSim Tim Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7823 <p>We're the developers of NOAH and it's great to see discussions. First, we fixed the issue with Firefox. Let us know if you still have issues.</p> <p>Second, there are three modes to NOAH at startup: play every time, play first time then not for X hours, and sit there until clicked on. It's configurable by the designer.</p> <p>Sorry about the American accent, but NOAH uses any voice file you create. Go to http://www.telsim.com/advertising/AD_dynamic.asp to see some different voices.</p> <p>Keep the comments coming!</p> We’re the developers of NOAH and it’s great to see discussions. First, we fixed the issue with Firefox. Let us know if you still have issues.

Second, there are three modes to NOAH at startup: play every time, play first time then not for X hours, and sit there until clicked on. It’s configurable by the designer.

Sorry about the American accent, but NOAH uses any voice file you create. Go to http://www.telsim.com/advertising/AD_dynamic.asp to see some different voices.

Keep the comments coming!

]]> By: Nathan Pitman http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2004/09/17/add-some-emphasis-to-your-site/#comment-7824 Nathan Pitman Wed, 31 Dec 1969 19:00:00 +0000 977681682#comment-7824 <p>I agree with Seth, inclusion of an avatar in this manner is nothing short of an admission of poor usability design. A simple, clear and well implemented site should negate the need for such 'technology'. Sorry, doesn't get my vote at all. :/</p> I agree with Seth, inclusion of an avatar in this manner is nothing short of an admission of poor usability design. A simple, clear and well implemented site should negate the need for such ‘technology’. Sorry, doesn’t get my vote at all. :/

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