I really want to like Flash. I really do. But it does so many things wrong. When displaying HTML objects over a Flash file, such as xbox.com with the HTML drop down menu over the Flash file, you get a "flicker" every once in a while, sometimes the background of the rollover goes transparent too.
This is what is called a "feature" of Flash, and there is no way around it. That is just the way life is.
The second reason in today's lesson is a bit more technical. It has to do with the z-index of the web page (think of layers in Photoshop, or layers of a cake, or whatever) and the fact that Flash totally ignores it completely.
Flash always rises to the top layer, no matter the z-index you set. The only way to deal with this is to set a parameter making wmode = opaque. The fact that wmode does not equal opaque in the first place is even more baffling.
This makes combining Flash and HTML objects a total pain in the ass. This is why many sites do not have hybrid designs, or if they do, Flash is completely contained in one area and it does not interact with anything else on a page.
You would think by version 9 of something they could make Flash more usable. Flash is a usability nightmare. I fear it always will be. It is really a shame that SVG never caught on.
