Do I need a web site?

I was asked this question on a networking site so thought I would share it here as well and I know it has been discussed since web sites began but here goes...

Over the years I have given different answers to this question, this year, my thoughts are this....

Originally I wanted to be different to all other web companies who were saying 'you must have a web site' as it looked so transparent that I was just trying to get a sale. Now I'm more relaxed about it all and feel that if the time is right, then the client will come calling. But in answer to the question, I now believe everyone should have a web site. The reason being that everyone expects it and whether you like it or not, people will now question why you haven't got one.



In fact this is what a client told me within the last hour. He deals with rent reviews, is in his 60s and never had a web site but people are reacting negatively when he says he doesn't have a web site.



So are we acting on response or being pro-active? Well for many businesses who can sell online, have a regular shop and can increase business through online sales or marketing then there is a clear vision and a real need for a web site. For those that are reacting to negativity, that is still ok.



It doesn't mean you need to have an all singing all dancing web site, but a simple logo with a little more info about you and some branding and contact points is all that may be required. To have a web site today is like having a mobile. We are all caught up in this world of instant access/ instant data so we need to move with it.



At the beginning, that is all we did, 'brochure' sites, there is no reason to stop this type of web site (just with better graphics compared to the early days).



It also means that when you hand a business card out, you're not just handing out an 8x5 piece of card, your handing out the gateway to 4,5,6 etc pages of information (providing your web address is on the card).



That's all people want sometimes!

HTML 5 vs Flash

Apple announced it would restrict flash on their product and they stated there are new platforms which can do everything flash can do like HTML 5.

What does HTML 5 do?

HTML 5 is still in the early stages and still there are not many browsers fully supporting it currently.
HTML 5 has the ability to have a lot more than what the current stand HTML can do, below is a list for some of those features:

-editable content
-play video and audio
-create canvas (make drawing apps)

Editable content
HTML 5 has a new tag (contenteditable) which makes a particular area into and editable textbox. The text then can be store either locally or sent to a script.

Play Videos
playing video without flash would be a great feature for a html website and it is easy in HTML 5. You create a video tag which points to a video source but the problem is that here is the only one video format current compatible with HTML 5 is OGG. HTML 5 has not been able to get other formats due to patents on other formats.

Create canvas
HTML 5 can create canvases which can dynamically change shapes as the browser will redraw the canvas. This enables developments of applications and manipulation of shapes.

HTML 5 better than Flash?
HTML 5 is moving in the right direction and can replace flash for certain features but Flash is cross-browser compatible and has been growing with new features for the last century. HTML 5 is far from the stage Flash is now. Flash currently is the only platform to view videos and when HTML 5 becomes more compatible with all the browsers this is an area which flash might not be able to dominate. HTML 5 can provide interactive websites but for more rich media driven website flash will still be the first choice for most web companies.

Conclusion
HTML 5 will in the future work along side flash instead of replacing it. Flash will be made redundant in 40% of what flash is used for. HTML 5 has a lot of promise and I will be looking forward to the coming years.

by Fahim Chowdhury

Actionscript 3 Cross-site Scripting in 3 Easy Steps

When you build a flash project which needs to talk to a page or an swf on another domain, you will find that there is security issues surrounding it. Adobe doesn't allow “cross-site scripting” unless the called domain has a file to tell the the swf that is can access the domain.

Reasons why?

Well, if you built a script which an swf calls to obtain information then a hacker can download the swf and place it on their site and access your data. Your data might be confidential and someone has ripped off your swf to obtain the link and use the information for their own benefit.

How to use cross-site scripting?

You can find plenty of example on the adobe site but I have been doing it for a web development company called vanilla active and we use it often so I will try explain my way. We have a server which contains many domain names so this example that a will give you will work well for both a single domain and multiple domains.

Structure

the swf(the one calling a page on another server)
|_ root of the server(not the httpdocs but before) contains a xml file
|_ httpdocs(of the called page) contains another xml file


STEP 1

The root(not httpdocs) needs a policy xml file,this grants flash access to the httpdocs. Example below:

"<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE cross-domain-policy SYSTEM "http://www.adobe.com/xml/dtds/cross-domain-policy.dtd">
<cross-domain-policy>
<site-control permitted-cross-domain-policies="all" />
</cross-domain-policy>"

The policy which I have place in this file allows any domain to go beyond the file to the called root directory to check the permissions set in there.

STEP 2

Now place a XML file into the location of the script which flash is going to access. Example below:

"<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE cross-domain-policy SYSTEM "http://www.adobe.com/xml/dtds/cross-domain-policy.dtd">
<cross-domain-policy>
<allow-access-from domain="*" />
</cross-domain-policy>"

In this file I have allowed access from any domain by using the * in the policy. However this is not secure so you should change it to allow only the swfs domain name. You can add more of this code to allow more than one domain.

<allow-access-from domain="www.the-swfs-domain.co.uk" />


STEP 3
In the action script, flash needs to access the second policy xml using the code below.

Security.loadPolicyFile("http://www.the-called-domain.co.uk/crossdomain.xml");

It takes time get the hang of it but it becomes an easy and secure way to call other domains. Please visit vanillaactive.com to view our work.

Fahim Chowdhury @ Vanilla Active

Web design in Borehamwood

At Vanilla Active™ we design inspiring, creative and innovative web based solutions to complement your business.

Vanilla Active has designed hundreds of web sites over the years, covering many aspects of web design which includes static brochure web sites, eCommerce and database driven sites.

We offer a ‘1-stop shop service’ from initial consulting and conceptualising to full implementation and hosting including bespoke content management solutions so that our clients have full control over the content. We have expertise in flash technology so can provide content rich solutions. Our full set of skills means we can offer the best solution for any job without compromise.

We are based in Borehamwood in Hertfordshire and our in-house team aim to deliver the best web experience for you and your customers at competitive prices with a friendly attitude and professional approach.

www.vanillaactive.com