Its no secret … I love developing in Flash.  Everything from simple banner ads and spam-proof web forms to full database-driven Flash websites, there isn’t too much I haven’t been able to build using that fantastic Adobe® authoring tool.

The problem I sometimes face when discussing a Flash solution with a new client is the misinformation they have either read on the web or, unfortunately, have heard from other designers / developers.  I want to set the record straight on the most common myths I hear.

Not everyone has Flash Player installed …

This is correct, not everyone has Flash Player installed. However,  99% of Internet enabled desktops is nothing to scoff at. I find it strange that people seem to think running a Java based web app is a better idea, even though Java currently has over 20% less browser penetration.  Ultimately, you need to consider your target audience.  If your target audience is that 1% who do not have Flash Player installed or has all scripting disabled then Flash content is definitely not for you (and neither is Java, any media, DHTML, or JavaScript for that matter).

Search engines can’t index or ‘crawl’ a Flash site …

Before Adobe bought out Macromedia in 2005, Macromedia had already developed developed a nice little SDK for search engines that would allow them to search content contained within a compiled Flash file (.swf). Google has been using this since 2004.

Flash sites don’t allow deep linking (permalinks) …

Deep linking is possible in Flash.  This is nothing new.  I recall reading an article by Robert Penner about ten years ago discussing the very technique.  Again, I must point to lazy or just plain bad design practices.  Deep linking is actually easier to accomplish in Flash than it is in AJAX.  SWFAddress from Asual.com makes the process pretty simple.  For a great in-depth tutorial check out Lee Brimelow’s excellent video.

The browser’s back button doesn’t work in Flash …

See above concerning deep linking.  Bad or lazy web designers are to blame, not Flash.  The back button works fine in Flash movies if the developer takes a few minutes to build his permalinks properly.

Flash is not accessible for visitors with disabilities …

Standards for accessibility in Flash started in 2002 when Macromedia implemented the first set of accessibility tools in the Flash IDE.  To be honest, I find it easier to implement accessibility within Flash than XHTML.  You can read more about this subject on Adobe’s website.