“Flashers" are not just strange men wearing their birthday suit under their long trench coat- it’s now used when referring to a group of individuals that use Macromedia Flash software. 2 dimensional animations are ideal for website designers, while those who make presentations on their computer can create interactive and truly memorable productions for all to see and “wow!" at. The truth is, the world has become a much more active (in more ways than one), colorful (in a number of ways) since Macromedia Flash hit the market in 1997.

Basic HTML served it purpose nicely before Flash came along and made it look quite boring. Flashers often look at HTML as antiquated, as Flash produces such a higher quality result through any computer medium. Web surfers are definitely more enamored with the use of Flash on a website, as opposed to HTML for basically the same reasons as the flashers- but more for a personal visual preference than a technical one- it just plain looks better.

To coincide with the remarkable impact that Flash has made with computer animation and websites, over 90% of all desktop computers around the globe have the Flash Player installed, making it very easy for viewers to get the full flash effect and enjoy whatever it is they’re watching. The audio impact of flash is just as much of a “wow" as the visual, for without it just wouldn’t “POP!"- Coordinating the two together is just one of the many amazing attributes of Flash.

Flash creates its exciting websites and animation with the use of a program language called ActionScript, and has done so since the inception of Flash 2. Vectors and raster graphics add to the versatility of the program, helping to create a more interactive experience for those who choose to use it. Flash is saved under the filing extension of .swf (small web file)

Contrary to the popular belief of the Non- Flash savvy, flash is as simple to run as any other program, you just need to have the right teaching element to guide you through. Just as anything new can seem quite overwhelming, so can Flash and ActionScript. But just as anything worth knowing takes a bit of time, effort and determination, so does Flash and Actionscript. The results will certainly be worth the time and effort that you’ve put into it, as you will be able to create websites and presentations that will simply be the envy of all who see them.