After reading many of Jacob Nielsen’s [url=http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20001029.html]scathing[/url] critiques of Flash usability on websites, it came as a complete shock when I learned that he and [url=http://www.macromedia.com]Macromedia[/url](the company which creates Flash) have formed an [url=http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/proom/pr/2002/macromedia_nielsen.html]alliance to develop standards for Flash usability[/url].
To me, this is really amazing. It’s almost like the Israelis and Palenstinians suddenly getting along like old buddies. Nielsen has been EXTREMELY critical of Flash for as long as I can remember, and he’s been the butt of many Flash programmer’s jokes and responses to what we often rightly viewed as a puritanical obsession with “usability”.
However, I did end up buying one of his books, and to be honest it did greatly influence the way in which I’ve built sites ever since. So in truth, I’m really glad to see he and Macromedia partnering up. Should make for great things in Flash site design theory and standardization!