Hipster Perspective

Hipster – Mobile App and Website

I have just launched a site and mobile app called Hipster at http://www.hipster.mobi and would like to give some background.

Hipster has become a term for people who dress and act cool taking elements from past styles.  Unfortunately and somewhat unfairly it has become a derogatory label – so much so that very few people say they are Hipsters.

I am a Hipster

Let’s take a look at a little “top of the head” history.  To be hip comes from hep – some jazzy black term.  We had the Beatniks in the 50′s who were Hep Cats and we had the Mod and Psychedelic Hip Cats in the 60′s.  60′s punk and early psychedelic folk wore Hipsters – pants that were low on the hips held up by big belts.  These often flared at the bottom – flares.  Not bell bottoms – Hipsters.

Dan Zen – Stripey Hipsters – Original ’66 taken in

In the past, styles tended to last for a longer time and as time passes, eras get remembered for certain styles. I created a site in the early 2000′s called Hip Cats at http://www.hipcats.com.  There are examples of Hip cultures – Beatnik, Psychedelic, Surf, Goth, Cyberpunk and Urban. On the Scoop page there is a history section for each of these genres.  There are also relevant songs, books and films listed.

Hip Cats site at http://www.hipcats.com (2002)

These days, with many more people, accessible historical media – movies, TV, songs, the Internet, etc. styles have become much more varied and mixed.  There still are some unique forays and spinoffs like punk, indie-pop, nerd, emo, clubbers, etc. but over the last few decades, kids started liking everything – or a wide variety.  I would go up to someone who looked like a mod and ask them if they were a mod and they would say no – and on occasions, they would answer they did not know what a mod was.  They could not say what their favorite type of music was – they liked everything.  I have mixed emotions over this response – it seems on one hand that they are not trying hard enough – like they have not researched and felt a passion.  On the other hand… it is an inclusive attitude.

Some Second Generation Hipsters (me on right) 1986

Perhaps it is this lack of historical perspective that has led to concerns of the authenticity of modern day hipsters.  There is merit in this criticism but let’s go a little easy on the youth.  First of all, wise people say this kind of stuff does not matter – who cares what you dress or look like, etc.  I care because it is fun to care, what I wear is self expression.  Do I care if a girl likes to wear mod dresses but does not know their history – not really, I am pleased to tell her of its history.  I think we are drawn to certain styles regardless of knowledge of the deeper culture.  And the deeper culture is born from people who share interests so let’s take a more supportive and nurturing attitude.

Attitude is another issue with the current Hipster.  To be cool is to often be reserved.  This sometimes comes across as being better than thou.  This side effect has been there right from the start of hipness.  So now we have this backlash of you think your so cool… we hate or we laugh at you hipsters, etc.  And then this feeds the standoffishness, etc.

Zany Dan Zen Dancing 2012

I have never condoned being too cool to communicate.  I am more zany and outgoing and inclusive – hipsters embody all sorts of people.  I think for the most part, the values of current hipsters are good.  They care about the environment – riding bikes, eating local food.  They are into cafe discussions, reading – they tend to be nerdy and intelligent.  This is what I assume – perhaps there are hipsters that do not share these values but for the most part, I think their outlook is positive and commendable.  Treat them like humans and I am sure that they will be kind and even a good influence on your life.

There is the issue of being labeled.  I suspect that nobody likes to be labeled.  I suppose if people include the “snooty attitude” and “lack of authenticity” issues in the label then perhaps I would not like to be labeled a hipster.  But if a hipster is just someone who IS hip – then I don’t mind that label.  I understand the striving to be unique but I say to you, if you ARE hip – then you are a hipster.

Comments welcome and please try out the app and have some fun.  http://www.hipster.mobi

Dan Zen – 2013

Hipster! Hip Hunters Hunt Hipsters…

Hippy New Year!

Hipster at http://www.hipster.mobi is in Beta – the Web version works.  The mobile version which is its primary target should be out in January – it was completed first but delayed due to iTunes shutting down over the holidays (but that is okay).

Hipster lets you post pics of hipster sightings and tag-vote other people’s pics.

So come on in and try it out – just a fun free thing – no pressure.  But please, if you know of someone who would like to partake, pass them the URL.

http://www.hipster.mobi – iOS, Android, BB10, Windows M coming soon.  Web is working now (Flash).

Dan

2013

Tired of the same old Medallion? Try Hangy!

Hangy at http://hangy.mobi is the mobile app for wearable devices that will make you:

the PIZAZZ at the party!
the CROWN on the conference!
the COOL in the club!
the SHOW of the fashion!

Easily express your moods, give greets, show pics or promotions and even wear styling lights!  Watch the Hangy YouTube Playlist to see how it works and how to make a Mobidallion wearable device in two minutes!

iPad, iPad Mini, iPod,  iPhone, Android,  Blackberry 10

The Hangy site offers a fun view of famous characters wearing Hangy and imagines how they would express themselves.  Click any character to VOTE for your favourite.

Inventor Dan Zen recounts, “For years, I have been watching the Web for mobile devices used as wearable expression – and have found nothing.  The closest is the digitalDudz fellow – I was telling my students about putting a device on the front and back so you could see through your body since the dawn of mobile video – so we seem to have similar interests. 

Why are we waiting around for digital fabric that can show the same old thing over and over – why not make use of our current devices with all the apps in the world!  A whole series is planned – with similar interface, so try out Hangy and let others know!”

There are a couple existing fasteners to hang Apple devices as a necklace iHangy (not related) and Necklit.  These require extra production and cost and only work with Apple devices.  You can create a Mobidallion wearable device in less than 5 minutes with tape and string or use a gel case and thread string through two pencil poked holes.  These free and easy techniques are more than strong enough to hold the device even with the most rambunctious of dancing!  Please watch the videos to see what we mean (see the second and third in the playlist).

All the best and send us your pictures wearing Hangy!

Inventor Dan Zen is an award winning digital media creator with over 80 games, gadgets, communities, and tools at http://danzen.com.  Hangy was made with Adobe Flash and easily published to all platforms through Adobe AIR.  Dan Zen has launched a half dozen mobile apps in FLASH/AIR such as Touchy, Wavy and Swoodle.

-12-

Mobidallion! Wearable Computing + Hangy App

Just figured out a good name for the hanging mobile device – Mobidallion.  It is fun to say.

http://danzen.wordpress.com/2012/09/06/mobile-device-as-medallion-wearable-computing/

Working on the hangy.mobi app – here is a video of where I am at:

-12-

Mobile Device as Medallion – Wearable Computing

Wearable Computing – Mobile Medallion

For the last while I have been prototyping mobile devices as medallions in a way to make wearable computing easy, affordable and practical today.

I have used iPods, iPhones, iPads, Galaxy Tabs as medallions hanging around the neck but my favourite size and device is the Blackberry Playbook.  This is an excellent device with superb sound and screen – and is the perfect size for a medallion.

I am working on apps that let you express your mood, communicate, mesmerize and promote using simple gestures or grid based interfaces – which work as you wear.  As far as I know, I am pioneering this technique.  I have had dozens of people research for examples and have come up empty.  Still to this day, there are no pictures of people doing this.

The odd thing is that I can do it with any existing device with a couple pieces of tape and a string in less than five minutes.  That means you can do it too and along with the apps I will be launching will come instructions.

My prototypes also include pockets with plastic or cut out areas to see the screen of the devices as well as packs, headbands, sashes, pouches, etc.  There have been arm bands to hold devices but the purpose has always been individual usage.  With Medallions, etc. the purpose is to communicate with others.

Dan Zen

Dan Yen over One Billion Deck Dollars in RichDeck!

In roughly 1,500 transactions, Dan Yen has grown his RichDeck empire into $1,109,927,000 Deck Dollars. Currently in second place is Silent B89 with $654,309,000.

http://danzen.com/richdeck

RichDeck is the game where you buy companies and make money from people buying franchises or you buy franchises and make money from getting your friends to accept franchise cards. There are also four types of companies, each providing special bonuses for franchise owners:

a) Cool Bonus: 1% the franchise price for each day a friend who accepted the franchise product signs in to RichDeck.

b) Health Bonus: 1% the franchise price for each week the owner owns the franchise.

c) Environment Bonus: 1% the franchise price for every 100 people who log in to RichDeck.

d) Time Bonus: 1% the franchise price for every day the owner logs in to RichDeck.

IF ONE PERSON COMMENTS BELOW AND REQUESTS A RESTART
Dan Zen will restart the game.

RICHDECK RULES

You start with ten million Deck Dollars.  The object of the game is to buy and sell companies and franchises and make billions!  Here are the rules and some examples.

1.  You can own any number of companies and franchises but no duplicates.  Companies can only be owned by one player and you can always buy* a company.  Company franchises can be owned by many players and you can buy** a franchise for the franchise price.

2.  When you own a company and someone buys a franchise, you get paid the listed price of the franchise. Also, if someone buys your company, you get what you paid plus 1% the starting price.

3.  When you own a franchise, you make money*** by sending the product to friends.  You also make money from one of four bonuses listed on the card.

4.  At any time, you can sell a company to the ‘bank’ for the price you paid.  You can sell a franchise to the bank but you must wait at least one week after the purchase date.  You will still receive money from any sends (see 3. above) accepted after a sold franchise.

* As long as you have enough money, you can always buy a company for 1% the starting price more than the current owner paid.  Prices will be worked out for you.

** You cannot buy a franchise if you own the company.  But you can buy a company if you own the franchise.

*** The friend will receive an e-mail with a product picture and an accept link. If the friend accepts, then you will receive the list price of the product.  The friend will also receive the price of the product plus ten million deck dollars if they have not already signed up for RichDeck.  The friend cannot be you and can only accept the particular product once per owner of the franchise.

EXAMPLES

The starting price of the Glass Car company is $20,000,000.  If a first player buys the company then they would pay this amount to the ‘bank’.  If a second player buys the company then they will pay the first player $20,000,000 plus 1% the starting price which is $200,000 so this makes a total of $20,200,000.

You can then buy the company for what the current owner paid ($20,200,000) plus 1% the starting price ($200,000) which makes $20,400,000 and the current owner cannot stop you.  But they could buy back the company for $20,600,000 and you could not stop them. If that player does buy the company from you then you get $20,600,000.

Now, if you decide to buy a Glass Car franchise instead of the company then you would pay the owner the franchise price of $2,000,000.  You can then send out glass cars to friends and make $200,000 each time the car is accepted by a friend.  You also make one of four types of bonus below – in this case the cool bonus.  If you want to sell your franchise then you have to wait at least one week after your purchase date then you will get $2,000,000 back from the bank.  Note that the owner does not pay the money back.

A Personal Copter and Glass Car

Here is the account records of Dan Yen current leader of RichDeck.

PLAYER: DAN YEN
MOTTO: How much wood does woodchuck buy?

WORTH: $1,109,927,000 dd CASH: $673,777,000 dd
COMPANIES: MOON MANSION, LUNAR RESORT, SCIENCE SQUAD, GLASS CAR COMPANY, CENTRAL LEMONADE CO
FRANCHISES: OASIS, 10,000 ACRE PINE FOREST, RUNNING COURIER CO, ERGONE CHAMBER, ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND, LASER HAIR CHAIR CO, FRESH AIR CO, SOLAR LAGOON BATH, AZTEC SUN TEMPLE, SCIENCE SQUAD, PLANETARIUM OFFICE, CENTRAL LEMONADE CO, SOLAR FARM, GLASS CAR COMPANY

LATEST HISTORY:
01-07: Received $500 dd TIME bonus on LASER HAIR CHAIR CO for signin
01-07: Received $20,000 dd TIME bonus on PLANETARIUM OFFICE for signin
01-07: Received $20,000 dd TIME bonus on CENTRAL LEMONADE CO for signin
01-07: Received $40,000 dd TIME bonus on SCIENCE SQUAD for signin
01-07: Received $720,000 dd HEALTH bonus on AZTEC SUN TEMPLE for 9 weeks
01-07: Received $90,000 dd HEALTH bonus on OASIS for 9 weeks
01-07: Received $9,000 dd HEALTH bonus on ERGONE CHAMBER for 9 weeks
01-07: Received $9,000 dd HEALTH bonus on ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND for 9 weeks
11-07: Received $200,000 dd for accepting CENTRAL LEMONADE CO from THEDORE BAGWELL
11-07: Received $100,000 dd for accepting ISLAND WITH RESORT from THEDORE BAGWELL
11-07: Received $400,000 dd for accepting SCIENCE SQUAD from THEDORE BAGWELL
11-07: Received $100,000 dd for accepting 10,000 ACRE PINE FOREST from THEDORE BAGWELL
11-07: Received $100,000 dd for accepting ISLAND WITH RESORT from JAYKEEN
11-07: Received $200,000 dd for accepting GLASS CAR COMPANY from AKUA
11-07: Received $500 dd ENVIRONMENT bonus on FRESH AIR CO for 100 signins
11-07: Received $20,000 dd ENVIRONMENT bonus on SOLAR FARM for 100 signins
11-07: Received $10,000 dd ENVIRONMENT bonus on 10,000 ACRE PINE FOREST for 100 signins
11-07: Received $8,000 dd ENVIRONMENT bonus on RUNNING COURIER CO for 100 signins
11-07: Received $500 dd ENVIRONMENT bonus on SOLAR LAGOON BATH for 100 signins
11-07: Received $800,000 dd for accepting AZTEC SUN TEMPLE from MURAD
11-07: Received $200,000 dd for accepting PLANETARIUM OFFICE from GUMUSOGLU
11-07: Received $500 dd TIME bonus on LASER HAIR CHAIR CO for signin
11-07: Received $20,000 dd TIME bonus on PLANETARIUM OFFICE for signin
11-07: Received $20,000 dd TIME bonus on CENTRAL LEMONADE CO for signin
11-07: Received $40,000 dd TIME bonus on SCIENCE SQUAD for signin
11-07: Received $960,000 dd HEALTH bonus on AZTEC SUN TEMPLE for 12 weeks
11-07: Received $120,000 dd HEALTH bonus on OASIS for 12 weeks
11-07: Received $12,000 dd HEALTH bonus on ERGONE CHAMBER for 12 weeks
11-07: Received $12,000 dd HEALTH bonus on ENVIRONMENTAL SOUND for 12 weeks
11-07: Received $4,000,000 dd from JOKIC buying franchise, SCIENCE SQUAD
11-07: Received $2,000,000 dd from JOKIC buying franchise, GLASS CAR COMPANY
11-07: Received $4,000,000 dd from THEDORE BAGWELL buying franchise, SCIENCE SQUAD
11-07: Received $4,000,000 dd from JAYKEEN buying franchise, SCIENCE SQUAD
11-07: Received $2,000,000 dd from AKUA buying franchise, GLASS CAR COMPANY
08-14: Received $100,000 dd for accepting 10,000 ACRE PINE FOREST from NT
08-14: Received $200,000 dd for accepting CENTRAL LEMONADE CO from NT
08-14: Received $5,000 dd for accepting FRESH AIR CO from ANDREW_
08-14: Received $100,000 dd for accepting CLIFFSIDE CONDOMINIUMS from ANDREW_
08-14: Received $400,000 dd for accepting SCIENCE SQUAD from SARU

Dan Zen “You are in the Dark” – New Interface Launch

Dan Zen launches a new interface!

Here is a look back through the various interfaces.  Click on any picture to go to the interface.

The “dark” interface is better suited for mobile and like the interfaces of the past offers a touch of playfulness with a light metaphor of early text based games.  [It almost made me want to make one of those.]  There is the recent http://altura.mobi if you are in the mood for text based interactive storytelling.

Up top we have the Dan Zen logo as a pixel art logo this time around (click it too).  Note that each interface is represented by a vertical totem logo variation.  There is a * link to a surprise feature, an about link, a contact link, a text ad and a GOGO Ad.

The main body as has five sections roughly as follows:

1. Guidance
2. Media
3. Games
4. Feedback
5. Create

The first section is always at the top and the others randomly rotate.  There are little >> marks after links that will pop up more options.  The other links pop up a new browser window or tab.  You can use key press letters to launch the links as well.

We hope you enjoy the site.  The design makes it simple to feature items although it is a bit more exploratory which is good or less good depending on your mood and purpose.

Dan Zen

-12-

Dan Zen Interview and Article on The Fair Observer

Yuna from the Fair Observer in Munich interviewed me on Skype – it was cool.  Have a look – there are two articles, one is and interview and the other a piece that I wrote about creation and consumption – it got edited a little (less pictures, less links – my title used Consumption rather than Consumerism – does it matter?).

http://www.fairobserver.com/article/interview-dan-zen-mad-inventor

http://www.fairobserver.com/article/state-interactive-content-2012-consumerism-and-creation

All the best,

Dan

-12-

Gogo! Animate YouTube Videos in your Ad Spots

See the ads in action!

• http://www.danzen.com/zenmotto/
• http://www.danzen.com/focuso/
• http://www.danzen.com/millionclouds/
• http://www.danzen.com/chakra/

Read more at http://adInventor.com.  Ad Inventor has been around for a while with dozens of different types of ads made – see http://danzen.com/hypno for a rather dated history.  Please remember that when hypno was made, it was full screen size!

Note… gogo will show a static ad (of your choosing) for browsers that do not support Flash.

-12-

Touchy on Dragons’ Den CBC

Touchy, the mobile game from Dan Zen will be featured in a short segment on CBC’s Dragon Den on January 18th, 2012 at 8PM.

Touchy – visit http://touchy.mobi – is available on the Apple iTunes store and Android Market. It is a social game where players physically try to touch each others’ mobile screens. So it is a game of reaching and protecting – with shrieks of laughter!

Arlene and Robert play Touchy on Dragons' Den

Arlene and Robert laughing after a game of Touchy

The pitch went well – but I was called in the day after a three day conference with late parties each night and this was just after a long open house – after I stopped talking, I could hardly get my mouth open – all I could do was nod and smile! Oh well – Inventor Dan Zen.

Touchy Inventor Dan Zen on Dragons' Den CBC

We would love your help getting Touchy out to the people – please check out the game on iTunes and Android Market – just search for Touchy – links are available at http://touchy.mobi, leave a review and tell anyone who you think would like to play – it is hard getting the message out to the youth – the primary market.

If you are interested in getting involved in an upcoming Touchy Tournament – find us on facebook and leave a message on the Wall – http://facebook.com/touchymobi – all the best!

-12-

Altura – Pseudo Interactive Storytelling Site Launches

Altura at http://altura.mobi is a Web / Mobile site that lets people partake and write pseudo interactive stories in a fun and free manner.

We will not give away exactly how it works until you try it!  Suffice it to say, it is another interactive storytelling feature from creator Dan Zen – http://danzen.com to add to the long list of interactive fiction environments:

Interactive Storytelling GAMES

	GORGOLON Underwater Multi-user Sci-Fi Game
	SAVE EARTH Save Future Earth With This Online Remote Control!
	MOUSTACHE MYSTERIES Zany Mysteries from the Mind of the Moustache!
	SHRINK RAY Save thousands shrunk in a bottle!
	BLIMP RACE Fly your blimp with all your friends!

Social Interactive Storytelling

	HIP CATS Turn On, Jack In and Hang Out
	CHANGING MAIL Change sent mail after it is read
	SPIROGRAM Spiral Encode Messages To Friends
	DENS Atmospheric Forums
	SPY-MAIL Get Spied On!
	COMMENT RIGHT Encouragement for blog comments

Interactive Storytelling EXPERIENCES

	TOWER OF BABEL Whisper Words That Have Never Been Said
	ZEN MOTTO Philosophical Focus
	A MILLION CLOUDS Fly a Jet Pack Through a Million Clouds!
	GYCOPO The Game You Can Only Play Once!
	PREDICTION TRAIN Ride the Prediction Train Into the Future

Interactive Storytelling APPS

	SNIPISODE Tell stories through Facebook status lines!
	TAPOLL Predict-a-Poll Web 2.0 Site!
	YASEESAY Say What you See Tool!
	ZEN MIX Cool Vlogging Tool
	ZEN PICTURE PAN ZOOM Scrolling Picture Viewer

-2012-

Dan Zen Talk – Creativity and New Forms of Mobile Games

Dan Zen will give a talk at the Arnie Student Pub on December 5th 2011 at 6:30 as the keynote to the Software Hamilton DemoCamp.

The talk will go over using Hierarchies as a creative framework. So rather than approaching the subject philosophically, it will be a more practical guide with an explanation of terms and isomorphisms of hierarchies.

The talk will include a set of 20 hand illustrated and colored examples with similar style to the poster except done in black with white.

Dan Zen will connect everyone at the event physically and use this experience to explore creating new forms of mobile games and apps.

For more information and to register for free…

http://danzen.com/create

-11-

Swoodle, Wavy, Tada!

Dan Zen has just launched three mobile apps on iOS, Android and Playbook. The apps were made efficiently with Adobe Flash and Flash Builder. Just search the stores for the apps by Dan Zen.

	TITLE: SWOODLE BUILD: 2 Nights DESC: Swoodle to hone your finger tai chi!
	TITLE: WAVY! BUILD: 1 Night DESC: Wave your device to make sounds!
	TITLE: TADA! BUILD: 10 Nights DESC: Decision and Faves tool.

The apps were uploaded to the three stores in one hour. This is amazing cross device efficiency from Adobe Flash and Flash Builder.

Dan Zen is the creator of TOUCHY the mobile app where players try to touch each others’ devices.

The Truth about Flash on Mobile

There has been a lot of buzz about how Adobe has “Killed Flash on Mobile”.  This is not true.

1. Flash on mobile is being focused to make APPS.  Adobe will focus on HCJ (HTML, CSS and JavaScript) for mobile browsers.
2. The current Flash plugin is still supported on mobile including security updates so any legacy content on mobile devices will continue to work.  Adobe will not be developing future plugin versions on mobile.

BACKGROUND

In general, the mobile browser is for looking at things and mobile apps are for doing things.  Flash is great for making apps.  HCJ is fine for presentation and animation on the browser.  Flash would have been fine as well if you discount legacy pages that were not designed for mobile and of course if all platforms supported it.

If you would like to read more of a background on the split between browsers and apps on mobile and the differences between Flash and HCJ, then please read my earlier post:
http://danzen.wordpress.com/2011/10/24/flash-and-hcj-html-css-and-javascript/

ADOBE

Adobe has clearly stated that it is focusing Flash-on-mobile for making APPS in articles such as these:
http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2011/11/focusing.html
http://mikechambers.com/blog/2011/11/11/clarifications-on-flash…

EXAMPLES

Here is a recent post about three mobile apps that Dan Zen has just launched that are made with Flash and Flash Builder:
http://danzen.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/swoodle-wavy-tada/

SOME COOL FLASH SITES

Flash remains on browsers on desktop and if indeed the plugin architecture fades on desktop, there is AIR for desktop apps which will support Flash.  Also, there are experiments in streaming Flash interactive content to browsers without the use of plugins  which would be ready I am sure by any demise of desktop/laptop browser plugins.  Below is a link to some excellent Flash experiences should you need a more positive reminder of what we can build.

http://www.thefwa.com/article/30-flash-sites-that-school-html5

Or click the icons below (thanks FWA for the compilation!):

Flash and HCJ (HTML, CSS and JavaScript)

In this post, I will compare Adobe Flash and HCJ (a handy acronym for HTML, CSS and JavaScript).

QUICK CREDENTIAL CHECK

I have built hundreds of features and sites in Flash and HCJ over 15 years of creation at http://danzen.com for which I received the Canadian New Media Awards Programmer of the Year.  I coordinate the Sheridan Interactive Multimedia Post Grad Program http://imm.sheridanc.on.ca for which I received the Canadian New Media Educator of the Year.  I also explore the philosophical side of coding at http://nodism.org.

PURPOSE OF POST

The purpose of this post is to help clarify what these technologies do to better guide our direction.  In a more specific context, there are a lot of people bashing Flash and I would like to put this in perspective.

  HCJ SUMMARY

HTML, CSS and JavaScript is an open source system to display Web pages and mobile Web apps

• HTML is a tagging language (XHTML is a subset of XML which is a subset of SGML) that defines the elements of the page.
• CSS defines styles that can be applied to the elements of the page.
  
• JavaScript is a programming language based on ECMA Script that can work with HTML elements and styles.

  FLASH SUMMARY

Flash is an application to make features that run in a browser plugin or in the AIR environment for desktop and mobile Apps

• The application has tools to build visual assets like vector illustrations, animations, text, images, sound and video.
• Flash has the ActionScript programming language which is based on ECMA Script (latest Object Oriented).
• Flash also supports CSS for styling.

NOTE:
Both systems access server side scripting just fine to store and retrieve data or to accomplish asynchronous loading like AJAX.  This was a hallmark of Flash ten years ago.  Flash also has Flash Builder and the Flex framework which is a tag based approach that publishes a Flash file.  The Flash compile code is open source as is the Flash code that people make if they choose.  For instance, my http://flashfeathers.com series of advanced interfaces is open source. Regardless, open source should not kill closed source.

COMPARISON

Both systems have the same potential.  The main difference is in culture and in tooling.

Over the last ten plus years, creators of Flash and creators using Flash have been in a symbiotic relationship to hone the tooling of Flash specifically for making enhanced interactive features (see INTERACTIVITY SCALE post). This means that there are  hundreds of media specific classes (code) with thousands of properties, methods and events tailored to interacting with the media.  Everything we need has been carefully catered to (or filtered out), organized, tested and applied.

HCJ, on the other hand, has been used primarily for display and collection of information.  So culturally, there is a ten year gap – even in basic functionality like rotation, let alone the culture of dragging, collision, keyboard commands, bitmap control, sound and video manipulation, filters, 3D, etc.  I say culturally, because some of these things were possible, just not really sought after.  There might be hundreds of hit tests done in HCJ and millions done in Flash.

Culturally, over the last few years (and particularly since the iOS no-Flash-in-Browser “NFIB” situation) there have been steps to move HCJ in the direction of enhanced interactive features. As mentioned, the potential is there.  People are building  libraries – a famous one being JQuery, and media is getting tag support with HTML 5, etc.

Tools are being built – even by Adobe, especially by Adobe, to support enhanced interactive features in the HCJ system.  Tool makers have the benefit of seeing Flash grow and will no doubt catch up to where Flash is now in a few years.  Of course, in a few years, Flash will have continued to progress as it is doing in the direction of 3D.

ANALYSIS

We are again at a time where Consumption and Creation have been separated.  In the 90′s we consumed online and created on our desktop.  In the 00′s, we did both on the Web although the creation pattern has always lagged far behind the consumption pattern. In the 10′s, with the arrival of mobile devices and in particular the success and arrangement of the iOS devices, we have the Web for consuming stuff and the Apps for creating stuff.  Communication sits between or can be done on both sides.

Consumption with browsers and creation with apps is a natural split as indicated by the names – browser and apps. As an application builder, I do not mind the the split because we have a way to get paid for the apps!  Try getting paid for a Web app – I have tried for 15 years with little success.

Marketing loves the split too – because they get to show authoritative content to the viewer.  Unfortunately, there has been a throw-back to authoritative content and I think they have forgotten the power of user created content – rotating a picture of a car in 3D is not user created content and only scratches at the surface of engagement.

PREDICTION

The split between consumption on the Web and creation with Apps will hang around for a while **.  There will be some enhanced interactive sites with the HCJ system but for the most part, people will think that fancy animation is enhanced interactivity and they will be satisfied consuming. The HCJ system will also be used to make apps.  Most of these apps will be information apps – as in, “it is on the Web but we wanted a presence in the App store”.  Other HCJ apps may rival Flash and Native apps in enhanced interactivity but if the Adobe Flash team and community does its job, Flash will keep ahead of the curve – the curve that they created in enhanced interactivity.  Props to Flash.

NOTE:
Flash now uses hardware acceleration to help with issues of slowness on macs, etc. in video playing and 3D and more mobile functionality is available so there has been (and will be) improvements in speed and functionality.

CONCERNS AND CONCLUSION

The Flash community is very open and creative – some have gone on to help HCJ with their experience.  What has not been very helpful is calling Flash (or letting Flash be called) taboo because clients can’t get their message on iOS Web.  Marketing agencies should offer (or continue to offer) engaging mobile APPS as a further opportunity to build brand experience.  Right now, for the most part, there is no better and efficient way to create enhanced interactive experiences across the mobile platforms than Flash and Flash Builder – I guarantee it.  Adobe is doing a wonderful job with the tools – just perhaps not as good a job as Apple with the hype.

Dan Zen – 2011

** It is possible that we will sway away from the Web as an all encompassing place for everything.  The Web will act like a promotional place for offline and online products. More and more products will access the Internet directly like multiuser game “clients”.  This will happen more so if we kill plugin architecture – either that or everyone will have their own browser (Google has already started with Chrome and its custom extensions).   If you are thinking of going this way – Adobe AIR allows you to make your own Web browser – similar to Steam for instance.

FINAL NOTE:
There have been generalizations made in this post – to go through all the specifics would have been lengthy.

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Interactivity Scale

Interactivity, computation and distribution are the three main distinctions between the Internet and the authorative content of TV, Print and Radio.

The following is a chart showing aspects of interactivity with examples.  These are ordered by general purpose going from simple navigational interactivity for consumption at the bottom to enhanced interactivity for creation at the top.  There is often a blend of these aspects, for instance, you select and move a collage piece as you organize it.  The scale shows tendencies.

Click the picture for full size.  Let me know if this is useful or used.

Inventor Dan Zen
http://danzen.com

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Tapoll Gets Bigger!

Tapoll at http://tapoll.com has received over 100,000 views.  In honor, we have made it bigger!  We took the 980 pixel width of Facebook, Google+. flickr, etc. to make Tapoll easier to see and operate!

TWIST

Tapoll polls have a unique twist:

Tapoll lets you predict and vote on a poll at the same time.

The results then show the predictions which often vary quite a bit from the actual votes.  Using the graph feature, you can see over and under predictions as well as the percent of user who voted for their own prediction.  This is often in the 50% range.

SHARING

Just recently, we added share buttons for Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

VIDEO DEMO

The top left corner is redesigned and now includes a link to a video demo on YouTube.

INTERACTIVE VIDEO AD

On the right hand side you will see a video ad for the Touchy game at http://touchy.mobi.  It shows up every once in a while and relates the ad to the keywords of the poll you are viewing.

INSPIRATION!

Tapoll also shows related news and social links in the inspiration column at right.  If you press the TAPOLL button next to any of these, it will start you off creating a poll with this link, picture, video, etc. cited as a reference.  You can also make a poll based on another Tapoll poll as well using the TAPOLL button under any poll.

Please come on by and share a few polls on your social sites!

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