View Full Version : Flash Versions Of Dev.Mag
ShellShok
18-08-2007, 11:16 AM
I've approached Nandrew with the idea of Flash versions of all Dev.Mags. I don't mean to replace the PDF's, but so that the magazine can be viewed online without having to download it. He said I should see what the general audience of Dev.Mag thinks. So vote and comment, people!;)
Chippit
18-08-2007, 11:38 AM
For the magazine to be viewable online, it would be simpler and easier to upload a un-compressed file which can then be viewed with Acrobat Reader inside the browser.
ShellShok
18-08-2007, 11:41 AM
Flash movies are way better quality and are smaller in size. The average size of Dev.Mag is about 6mb. Flash can make it lower than 2mb.
Gazza_N
18-08-2007, 11:52 AM
I say that if they don't require too much extra effort then we should give them a shot, but I wouldn't mind seeing a sample version first.
Cyberninja
18-08-2007, 12:44 PM
I've approached Nandrew with the idea of Flash versions of all Dev.Mags. I don't mean to replace the PDF's, but so that the magazine can be viewed online without having to download it. He said I should see what the general audience of Dev.Mag thinks. So vote and comment, people!;)
Unfortunately I won't be able to do this, I've been extremely busy this year with other projects and really don't have time to create both pdf and flash versions. Because of this, Nandrew has been designing the mag for the majority of this year. I'll only be back as full time designer in January after I complete a movie project.
If you are proposing that you will take care of converting the mag to flash, then that's fine. But you should really speak to Squid about the hosting of the files and such. Since he's in charge of the site. :-) My personal opinion is that I really don't think it's necessary, but if you're up for the work, and are sure that you can meet the deadlines, then sure go ahead.
You've got alot of pages to convert. :-)
Chippit
18-08-2007, 12:49 PM
Unfortunately I won't be able to do this, I've been extremely busy this year with other projects and really don't have time to create both pdf and flash versions. Because of this, Nandrew has been designing the mag for the majority of this year. I'll only be back as full time designer in January after I complete a movie project.
If you are proposing that you will take care of converting the mag to flash, then that's fine. But you should really speak to Squid about the hosting of the files and such. Since he's in charge of the site. :-) My personal opinion is that I really don't think it's necessary, but if you're up for the work, and are sure that you can meet the deadlines, then sure go ahead.
You've got alot of pages to convert. :-)
Those are my concerns exactly.
I mean, setting up a 'teaser' flash is fine, but anything more than that is just ludicrous amounts of extra work for very little effect. I still hold. Uploading uncompressed pdfs are better, both because they are viewable in-browser, and because search engines can crawl them.
cairnswm
18-08-2007, 08:52 PM
I wont vote no - but I certainly wont read it in flash. Most web sites that I visit that have a flash movie on them get immediatly closed.
Nandrew
18-08-2007, 10:50 PM
Flash movies are way better quality and are smaller in size. The average size of Dev.Mag is about 6mb. Flash can make it lower than 2mb.
I'd have to put in a quick note here. Flash can indeed make the filesize smaller, but that's only possible through making the images a significantly lower quality. Additionally, the entire page would be treated as one image ... as opposed to PDF's special formatting, which recognises what's text, what's piccie and what's just funny space.
Dev.Mag's PDFs could conceivably be compressed themselves, at the cost of picture quality. In fact, I reckon we could go under a meg -- with less-than-appealing results, of course.
----------------
As another note ... Chippit has raised a very good point, which we should perhaps try instead of uploading zip files.
Q-Man
18-08-2007, 10:55 PM
-why- do I need to read dev.mag in flash, if PDF is -perfectly- fine. I'm sorry, I'm not sold, I'm with everyone else on seeing as sample, but I loathe flash (other than the funny movies/cartoons done in them).
In this case, flash would be in the organization of redundancy organization. (see what I did there). So that's a no from me.
UntouchableOne
19-08-2007, 12:41 PM
I agree with the sample idea. I would really like to contribute to the mag. I was meant to write a piece for the mag but I just didnt have any time. I am able to do something after november. I could help with the designing too..got some experience with photoshop and I could learn whatever else is needed quickly...
kurtkz
20-08-2007, 10:39 AM
Mmm, I'm gonna go with what Q-Man said. I'm not a big fan of flash either; PDF is perfectly fine. If, on the other hand, the magazine admin don't mind the extra work, then go right ahead and produce 2 versions :)
Cyberninja
20-08-2007, 11:31 AM
Another reason why I prefer the mag being in pdf only, is that it makes sure the reader always has a "digital hardcopy" with them. This makes for easier referencing, as opposed to flash, were the reader has to go online everytime he/she wants to go over a section again.
@UntouchableOne: Let see how this all pans out first. Then I'll get back to you. ;-)
ShellShok
20-08-2007, 03:29 PM
So it looks like it'll be better if I just leave this...:(
Ah well, if I get bored I'll just do this for no reason in particular.
UntouchableOne
20-08-2007, 09:11 PM
@Cyberninja. Thanks...I really want to get involved with the mag.
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