Flash introduction movies are unnecessary and annoying. Flash introduction movies are unnecessary and annoying.

That is not a mistake. We repeated this twice because this is how we and most of the world feel about Flash intro movies. Over 98% of users skip Flash movies. The other 2% probably cannot find the skip intro button in time.

Why do many web site have them? Because web designers have once again tricked law firms and other companies into spending needless money on a new technology.

Yes, Flash does have its advantages. First, since Flash is cross browser and platform compatible, designers only have to code for a single type of web user. Further, Flash allows the use of great animation, motion, sound, and color.

However, Flash also has its downsides. Large movie files take forever to load. It costs more to design and if not done correctly, can be very hard to maintain.

So how should a law firm use Flash? Quite simply, Flash should be used to animate elements in a web site, such as menu's, logos, and main graphics. Flash can be an effective tool when used to enhance a web site. However, when Flash dominates a web site, it detracts from the overall message that the law firm is trying to convey.

Now that we have cleared up the issues of Flash, lets move onto some useful technology . . . Databases.