Why are all the flash blogs in non-flash format?

[lind]

Someone on sitecheck posted this site: http://www.dekopergietery.be/new/main.html . Seeing how this flash site can successfully display a lot of dynamic text/content in an easy to read and navigate way, I was wondering why a lot -- maybe all -- of the flash blogs out there are not in flash?

Sites on flash like
http://www.flashguru.co.uk/
http://flashmagazine.com/html/
http://www.flashblog.net
http://radio.weblogs.com/0106797/

Is there a disadvantage to creating a site with a lot of text and some pics, like NYTimes.com, all in Flash MX besides the fact that almost half the web users don't have the Flash 6 plugin?

[jimburton]

the whole idea about blogs is they are unfussy content based things, tend to be low on images never mind objects requiring plugins, altho many are verynice to look at and use, thanks to css. flashmagazine isn't a blog but it used to be swf based...they stopped using flash cos as well as taking more time and effort to produce a new edition, they couldn't do basic html things like flow text around an image and, unless I'm mistaken, that's still not an out of the box thing to do in mx is it? The result was that their site looks cleaner, lighter and more modern.

mm are peddling flash as a replacement for the browser, best thing since sliced html, when this just detracts from all the things it does so well. I don't see any reason to consider using it on a content-rich site, whether it be a blog or cnn...

[Mortimer Jazz]

best thing since sliced html heh :)

I think MM have changed tack a little now JB, which is good I agree.
I went to this free seminar they held a few weeks back and they made I clear distinction between the uses/benefits of both Flash and HTML.

To tie this in with the original post....and pretty much what was said at the seminar.......

HTML was created to display information.
That's what it was designed to do and that's what it does very well indeed...it's just that now companies are demanding more and more from their sites HTML isn't always up to the job.

Most of the flash blogs are maintained by people who are very highly regarded in their field, so I'm sure they're more than capable of knocking together a blog in Flash and I don't think it's an issue with flash not being up to the job - certainly for them.
They can use detect scripts to prompt users to download the latest plugin, but people reading the blogs will more than likely have the latest plugin anyway, or be web-savvy enough to go and download it without any problems.

Like JB said, I think ease of use is the key. These guys know to use the right tool for the job. At the moment, using Flash for certain sites can be a bit like trying to bang a square peg through a round hole.

I love Flash but I do miss my: rightclick -> open in new window !!

[red penguin]

Agreed. It's just an easy thing for someone like meself to just add a quick entry ala html and be done with it. Nothing needed but a text editor and blam...it's in there. I'd rather take my time to do other things than to create a complete Flash site just for a silly blog site. Perhaps one day. But for now, it's jsut as easy to just modify a CSS file for a new look and keep the same template.

Fah. If that makes any sense at all. Perhaps I'm just lazy to create one in Flash. I'd rather piddle with my sine and cosine in spare time...

Thought I'd add my two cents...

A bientôt....

[jimburton]

Qu'est que c'est, le red penguin blog? :)

[Jesse]

Actually the best BLOG reader I've seen is this awesome Flash app which customizes your preferences with SharedObjects and remembers which blogs (of a big included list) you like to read daily. It was mentioned at FlashGuru.co.uk a while back, but I'veforgotten the URL.

[jimburton]

newsmonkey? (http://www.nuwance.com/newsmonkey/)

[Jesse]

Yeah, that's the one