1 Like the idea, but ...

I’m viewing this article in a browser with javascript enabled, but without flash installed. In this instance I don’t get the original image, so my experience is worse than the static version. With javascript off it looks like the original example. Perhaps some javascript detection of flash is in order? Also, the link to the original ratings example should be http://www.alistapart.com/d/semanticflash/ratings/ Cheers.

posted at 06:03 am on February 27, 2007 by Damian Sweeney

3 What about server-side?

It seems to me that the easiest, most cross-platform way to achieve the reflection is to do it server side with imagemagick or a similar library. It’s trivial to do in your scripting language of choice (python, PHP, perl, ruby) and removes the requirement for flash on the client side.

While there may be legitimate uses of flash in an xhtml-based site, I really don’t think this is one of them. In my opinion, flash should always be an option of last resort, when there is simply no other feasible way to achieve one’s goals. sIFR, on the other hand, seems like a legitimate use. It’s something that doesn’t affect the accessibility of the site for those without flash, and does something that can’t really be done well in any other way (you could render an image server-side, but that causes other problems and you lose the accessibility of the text).

posted at 06:28 am on February 27, 2007 by Micah Wylde

4 Rotate, then flip?

Doesn’t it make more sense to simply flip around the x-axis, rather than rotate 180°, then flip around the y-axis?

posted at 07:05 am on February 27, 2007 by Anson Schall

5 Untitled

Maybe something like this is possible (and easier to implement) with the help of swfir ? Excellent timing with the article though, I just learned about swfir tonight :)

posted at 07:52 am on February 27, 2007 by Steven J. Strutt

6 Corrected link:

the correct link for swfir

posted at 07:53 am on February 27, 2007 by Steven J. Strutt

7 more uses

flash is also useful for created scalable, smooth images when the user bumps up their font size.

posted at 08:18 am on February 27, 2007 by gareth jones

8 Disabled Right click?

Using Flash for for images, wouldn’t that break the right click? Doesn’t sound like a great idea.

posted at 08:34 am on February 27, 2007 by Tor Løvskogen

9 Unnecessary Use of Flash

As it happens there is a small Javascript file that can take care of image reflection (reflection.js)

The fundamental problem with Flash, and this is insurmountable, is that all the content is locked away in an unparsable proprietary format. This is so completely against the whole foundations of the internet that we should all think carefully before implementing a Flash solution.

One of the key features of the so-called Web 2.0 sites, that of easy exchange and enhancement of content would not have been possible if everything was locked away in an .swf file.

posted at 08:53 am on February 27, 2007 by Ross Riley

10 RE: Unnecessary Use of Flash

I really strongly disagree with what Ross was saying. Content is not locked away in a swf. The swf should/could be simply the way of displaying the content.

In the majority of my Flash projects all information/content is held externally and loaded as/when required.

By his reasoning php/asp/ruby or any other server side language is locking away the content as you can not access its source.

Whereas we all know this isnt true as these server side languages simply facilitate the transition of information from your server to the client. Which when used properly is exactly what Flash does.

Also for any Flash/Javascript/Clientside developers reading I recently created a flash debugger script which links into Firebug so you can easily see what is going on within the client.

posted at 09:35 am on February 27, 2007 by Aaron Bassett