I Hate Flash

This is a post from my other blog, VickieB's Ramblings

OK, maybe I don't hate Flash, but I dislike it intensely. Flash when used to enhance a site can be cool. But, for most commercial sites, it should be at the option of the site visitor. A well designed HTML web site can project a much better image for the average consumer than a Flash site.

Flash based sites

When I go to a site like Suave or Dove (these are sites I have been to lately) and I try to navigate a less than optimal Flash based site like Suave, it's a real turn off. I have had to spend twice as long looking for information than is necessary. You can't use the back arrow or you're taken back to the beginning of the Flash movie losing even more time. The Dove site has a sitemap available, but click on a link and you are still pulled into a flash site. But, at least with the Dove site you can use the back arrow and go back a page without starting all over, but still it would be much better to have a standard site available. Unfortunately, most, but not all, of Unilever's site are Flash based. Big turnoff.

Site menus done in Flash

WD Diary , part of Woman's Day and Classic Heartland, a public radio station have Flash based menus with no alternative, you either have Flash enabled or you can't navigate the site. Not a good impression and another big turnoff.

Most sweepstakes entry forms done in Flash suck, too. There is no reason that your browser's form filler, Google's form filler, Roboform or the like should not be able to fill in a form, any form. There are a lot of people out there who have a hard time either seeing or typing.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Get Some Green to Go Green Sweepstakes

Just like ABC's Water Cooler Moments that ended in December, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Get Some Green to Go Green Sweepstakes is a great example of a lousy entry system. Both the area of the log in button (in the middle of the page) and the log in area (at the top of the page) are Flash. You have to log in in to your account, which is no big deal, but after pressing the button to take you to the log in form, you have to scroll to the top of the page. When the log in form shows up, it looks like it has focus in the user name field, but if you try to type your user name in, nothing appears. You have to click in it first to give it focus. After logging in, you have to scroll down again to see the confirmation. I should be able to use RoboForm (it has all my log in data) to login, but no way. Also, unlike most of ABC, Disney sites, if I am logged in on a related site, I am not automatically logged on to this site.

M&M's Checkered Flag Sweepstakes

Like all of Mars and M&Ms sweepstakes the M&M's Checkered Flag Sweepstakes is Flash based. However, this form is overkill. Like their other entry forms, they are not designed to be used with a form filler, so why they decided to put a hard to read verification code on the form beats me. If they are going to use a verification code, the form should be designed to be used with a form filler.

Malt-O-Meal Free Cereal Sweepstakes

You can enter the Malt-O-Meal Free Cereal Sweepstakes online or through snail mail. Each of the 15 winners will receive 52 coupons worth $5.50 each. The entries are limited to one per person/email/household.

Very fast loading, clean looking, easy form. The verification code is also very easy to read. The only drawback is that usually the Address 2 field is optional, but the form states all fields are required.

Win Your Dream Kitchen

The Win Your Dream Kitchen, part of the Reader's Digest Winner Take All creative presentation and sponsored by Taste of Home made a change on their entry form on the 25th.

The form now has a user name and password field. You try and submit and get a "email address already in database" message and a submittal error.

You need to go to the site and register as a user now to enter. No where in the rules does it say that. Now I'm registered, which was a feat in itself. Went to the site, didn't have password (so I guessed), couldn't log in, said email not in database. Tried to register and said I'm already in database. Had email sent for forgotten password, was able to log in, finally found the entry form on their site and entered, getting the Thank you confirmation.

Just brought up the form from my bookmarks and it's the nice simple form. Closed the form, deleted all cookies, brought the form up again and the form with the user name and password shows up.

We'll see how the entry process goes tomorrow.

Edit 3/2/09
Well, there is now a log in link that works on the form. Log in and it brings up the form partially filled in. You would think that if they bring up a form with your info that the state field would be filled in also, but it's not.

Reader's Digest Big Money Joke Sweepstakes

The Reader's Digest Big Money Joke Sweepstakes is part of the Reader's Digest The $30,000 Winner–Take–All Prize (#002)creative presentation. The form is the same one used for the sweeps that expired this month.

According to the form, if you do not have a joke to submit, you can skip steps 2 and 3. Step two is an option as to what you are submitting: A Joke, A Funny, True Story, A Quote and step 3 is the content of your submittal.

You CAN NOT skip these steps on the form, Joke is already preselected and there is no way to normally clear the fields. I use RoboForm, and if I so desired, I could clear the option field, but that is not how the form is designed. With the option field already preselected, you HAVE to have something in the submit your joke (content) field, the form will not submit without it. Most often I will just put a period or dash in the content field.

They are fully aware that the form does not work properly and still have not done anything to fix it.

To find the sweeps, go to the Reader's Digest site and look for the sweepstakes links.

Hachette Filipacchi Media Instant Cash Giveaway Sweepstakes

The Instant Cash Giveaway Sweepstakes now being sponsored by Hachette Filipacchi Media (Woman's Day, Elle, etc.) is a change from the sweeps previously run. For the past few years, they have participated in the "Dream" Series (Dream Come True, Dream of a Lifetime). This year, it looks as though only their magazines are involved in this particular creative presentation. Entry has been changed to one a month. Easy entry form. In addition to the prizes offered at the end of the promotion, there is a monthly prize, and the winners will be drawn much sooner than the 8+ month wait time after the sweeps ends of the "Dream" series.

Still a long running promotion, but in my opinion, much better than the previous ones.

Another change that I feel is great, the winners list for this promotion will be published online.

You should be able to find the entries at Sweepstakes Advantage