Uhm, on the splash page design contest, I don't get the "Not just a flash in the pan" line.. can someone explain it to me?

I think all the splash pages are great and should win :>

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Answers

A "flash in the pan" is like, a hockey player who makes it big for a year or so, but it not one of The Greats, and is not remembered. It can also be described as a "one hit wonder," as in a musical group who has one big hit, but that's it, and you forget about them in no time.

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Looking at the entries, my guess is that none of the artists are web designers or graphic designers. Personally, I always like to hear constructive criticism, even if I don't agree with it. It keeps me on my toes.

From an subjective aesthetic point of view, I do not like any of them. I will detail why for each of them. If technical talk about graphic and web design bore you, you should skip my message.

Absolut Pamie: Ah. A Parody. Absolut ads are already amusing. A parody of something that is already funny cancels out the funny. Also, consistency is a good thing. If you are going to parody Absolut, put Pamie in a bottle. Don't just trace edges. Plus, the title of her site is Squishy. The title should be the dominating text. Merely placing it off-center at the top doesn't do it for me. Especially on my PC which has the gamma set down low.

Orange Hazard Sign: While I do not like any of them, this is my favorite. Simple and elegant design. Two colors. TWO COLORS. WHY IS THIS A 47KB JPEG? This should be a four color GIF. (But wait, Jon. You said it has two colors... why four? Because the black is anti- aliased.) The thing is... I don't like big square graphics. If this was on white, or it blended somehow into the background, I might like it better. Plus, it so has the clip-art feel to it. I like that orange, but I'm pretty sure it isn't a web safe color. Also, I'm not a big fan of the tagline... not in Squishy's case. It sets a tone that doesn't need to be set. Let the text inside do that.

Cat in a Pot: This one is inexplicable, as the original creator of this topic implied. Why would Squishy need to declaim its pan flashing status? What is that cat doing? The picture is blurry. It is an amateur looking photo. It makes Squishy look like it should still have a '~' in the URL. And that font is SOOO overused. Same complaints about the square graphic and tag line.

Pouring Squishy: Again, nice, simple, two colors. Yay! It is a GIF. 8kb. Hmmm, it might be compressed, but that might just be the white space. Why do people feel like they have to box everything in? Take the lines off. Get rid of the tagline. "science" looks like "solence" on my screen. Clip-art of beaker doesn't really convey the feeling I get from reading Pam's material. Graphic replacement of dot over 'i' is a tired idea.

Monty Python: A literal take on the site name. I prefer subtlety. So big it got its own page. Won't fit in my browser window, and a bunch of others' I'll bet. Looks like it was drawn in Windows 3.1 Paint program; Squishy requires a little more finesse. And Pamie, I'm sorry to hear about your accident. I hope they can sew your toe back on.

I certainly do not want to discourage anyone who takes their work seriously. Practice makes perfect, and all. Perhaps my comments will spur some discussion. Or flames.

And if I come across as a smug know-it-all, just know that I'm that way in person, too, and that it isn't just because it is written text. :-)

-- Anonymous, June 22, 2000

Jon, you wouldn't be looking for a little attention, would you? It's just that anybody who says "Perhaps my comments will spur some discussion. Or flames." is usually wanting somebody to talk to them.

At no point did I see an invitation to offer criticism, constructive or otherwise, regarding the entries. If you can't say something nice maybe you should keep quiet.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

http://www.goddamnindependent.com/dev/

unofficial entry...with less fat than the leading entry, recommended by 9 out of 10 dentists, for those times when you feel 'not so fresh', leaves hands feeling soft and luxurious, and sealed for your protection.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

The 'refreshing Squishy beverage' that was linked today--that one in particular had me rolling. I'm easily amused, but, well, I suppose I vote for it. :)

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

mortis, I really like that one.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2000

Can the Squishy beverage be a write in vote? Please? I love that!

-- Anonymous, June 24, 2000

wow! glad everyone liked the entry! ;) yeah, i figured the 'cool and refreshing' part pretty much summed up Pamie's site...

-- Anonymous, June 25, 2000

Well, since nobody's answered the original question:

In flintlock pistols and rifles, the place you put the priming powder is called the pan. It has a hole in the center which goes into the barrel where the main powder charge is. You put powder in the hole and the pan and pull the trigger. The spark hits the pan, the powder ignites, the main charge goes off.

Unless all you get is a flash in the pan, in which case nothing else happens (the spark didn't go down the hole into the barrel).

-- Anonymous, June 26, 2000

I vote for Mortis! Cool and refreshing is the way to go! :)

-- Anonymous, June 27, 2000