Archive for the 'Web design' Category

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I’ve been noticed, and the future…

Published on June 1, 2005 in News, Site notice and Web design. Closed

Today, I received a very interesting comment on my More Merger News: Adobe plugin mimics Macromedia Contribute… post. John Dowdell gave me a good long explanation on how the new GoLive plugin the allows:

A site designer can specify special editable areas in an HTML document. A content contributor can then edit each of these areas, one at a time, in a form-based application.

This seems very similar to the template feature found standard in Dreamweaver which allows the lead designer to develop a main style/form and then block off sections of the pages for editing by members of the design team to edit later. I used this to feature to create a site that had constantly changing content (before reaching production… heck government work, it takes forever to those civil servants to decide on anything). This is different from Contribute which allows:

A content contributor can browse to an HTML page and then (assuming they have site privileges) can edit that content while looking at the whole page. Optionally, a Dreamweaver (or GoLive!) designer can use Dreamweaver templates to lock out areas from editing.

I reccommend checking out the full comment for more info.

To John Dowdell, I can only say thanks. I had noticed some hits coming into my site from Macromedia.com since I started worrying about how the Big Merge might change the Macromedia apps I have come to love and use everyday, and you have helped make my day by making my comments seem to count.

Now a quick site notice… Something big has just happened… I’m not ready to go into details, but let’s just say Flash commentary is about to change as we know it!

Check back soon for more details.

Digital Media – Artist’s Statement

Published on May 16, 2005 in Constructive Criticism, Flash and Web design. Closed

While attending UNO for my senior semester as an art major I was required to an Artist’s Statement describing my influences and artistic ideas. Artist’s normally write Statements to introduce themselves to people attending a gallery opening, but I wrote mine to try to impress a small group of professors, who taught all types of art in all types of media, and to introduce them to the idea of web based media and Macromedia Flash being used to create art. Read the full Artist’s Statement after the jump. Continue reading ‘Digital Media – Artist’s Statement’

Adobe to delete some Macromedia software after merge

Published on May 14, 2005 in Fireworks, Flash, News, Photoshop and Web design. 2 Comments

MacNN has an article up about the software they think the big merge is going to leave behind. Based on a report from NPD Techworld, they say:

2004 U.S. professional graphics and Web market share figures show Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Flash as leaders in their respective markets, so it comes as no surprise that the four applications are expected to survive the merger, while Fireworks, Freehand, and GoLive will be eliminated.

I definitely agree with this accessment given the widespread feelings about the less liked application in the group. The article has stats on the programs’ market share and some interesting comentary on the report. The only thing i find odd is the reccomendation to Adobe to try to sell the Fireworks and Freehand programs. Fireworks may be able to find a buyer, but I can’t see Freehand finding one considering the lack of improvement the program has been given just from Macromedia in the past few years. My gut feeling says that even if Freehand and Fireworks could be sold the lack of use and market share will most likely kill the programs in a short period of time. Fireworks will only survive as a more professional alternative to Photoshop Elements and only because it has extra tools. I personally do not use Fireworks as an alternative to Photoshop but as an extension of Flash to do easy png manipulation, but I can see this being taken over by Photoshop. The missing links in all this are price and activation. Photoshop is just too expensive to be added to the Studio suite of apps and Adobe does not have a very good student pricing system set up. Product activation is completely different for Macromedia apps than for Adobe apps. One is the extremely easy fill out OPTIONAL registration form plus serial number on install(Macromedia); the other is a new complicated activation via web that requires Adobe’s direct permission to re-install much less to flip computers(Adobe). Which would you prefer?

Macworld looks at the merger and ms connection plus theft of my comments…

Published on April 25, 2005 in News, Site notice and Web design. Closed

first off the theft:On a side note, I found a site today that is stealling my content and I would like to notify the own of that site(adobe-photoshop dot informationadvice dot info) that he disgusts me and he needs to go write his own stuff and stop stealling from others!
Second, Macworld has a short story on the merger as seen by a stock analyst who incorrectly thinks this is about competition with microsoft(a company who has yet to make any good design software). This is just another sample of someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about trying to get in the fray. the article does go on to mention the anti-trust issues this merger may bring up though. Also a check of the comments attached to the article brings up a good point: “Let’s say it together now so everyone can get it through their heads: Microsoft and Adobe are *NOT* direct competitors, in ANY sense of the word.”- Photonerd. I can’t agree with this more.

The CSS Weblog goes through changes and gives its take on the merge

Published on April 21, 2005 in News and Web design. Closed

The CSS Weblog has been undergoing some changes lately but they finally got around to giving their view on the big merge. They seem to be worried that web standards may suffer with the lost of some great programs. As usual everyone wants to know what is adobe going to do with its new software and what are they going to ditch?

the CNET take…

Published on April 21, 2005 in Constructive Criticism, News and Web design. Closed

CNET has its own little merger story up. they go into the history behind adobe and macromedia and try to rope microsoft into this discussion. I really think we can go ahead and delete MS from the equation as that oversize behemouth really needs to concentrate on getting out a product that doesn’t have the security concerns its flagship piece of junk does. (There is no reason a company with the resource of ms should continue to put out the junk os that they continue to release.)

and now a translation From PR on the big merger…

Published on April 21, 2005 in News and Web design. Closed

Daring Fireball has done a thorough translation of the merger FAQ from the Adobe/macromedia merger. They seem to be as irked about this as I am especially when it comes to the threat of the new Adobe design monopoly.