Flash v/s HTML navigation

which do you like? which do search engines like?

[casey133]

as of now, i am using a flash nav at the top of each page that is about 70KB in size; which is the smallest i am able to shrink it, which do visitors tend to like and which do search engines like? i understand that search engines now read Flash files... but does one have an advantage over the other? BTW: My website is a web design comapny so i thought the flash nav will give more of a creative look and feel to the customer to be that will display what is possible with flash.

your thoughts?

[rocknbil]

What if the visitor hates Flash and has it off?

IMO use the Flash to embellish your site but don't navigate with it. Scroll down a bit - there's a discussion of Flash and S.E.'s - while it may digeest some of the content it certainly is not "better" than HTML. 70K is pretty small though, see no problems there.

[faltered]

I agree with rocknbill. Personally, I think Flash can be a great addition to a site. But not when used for essential elements like navigation. I can't stand all flash-sites. Not to mention the amount of time they take to load.

Jeff Veen seems to agree, too. Nice post on flash in his weblog.

[whoisgregg]

I can't stand using Flash for navigation or for embellishment. If you aren't making entertainment (like homestarrunner) then the only thing left to use Flash for is specific purposes that simply can't be accomplished in other ways. Tutorials, specific use calculators (although Javascript is taking over there for for me), and a handful of neat things that Flash does really well that I'd rather not share. ;)

[rocknbil]

. . . a handful of neat things that Flash does really well that I'd rather not share.

Or you'd have to kill us, right?

You know, I'm a pretty open-minded guy. But I just don't "get" Homestarrunner. :D I get "all your Base," Beavis and Butt-Head, South Park - but I just don't seem to be able to get Homstarrunner. :-)

[whoisgregg]

It's not that I'd have to kill anyone, I just want a few months to make a killing before I create competition. :)