During the summer of 1995 a small team of programmers began writing a piece of software that would change the landscape of the web. The idea was so ahead of its time that larger companies with strong ties to graphical and animation software weren't even interested in licensing the technology. In those days the web wasn't seen as a platform for media and motion but rather static text and images. So, in the summer of 1996, the tiny company made up of six people released the software on their own calling it FutureSplash Animator.

In time the product raised a few eyebrowse and a slow following began to use the new technology. With some major players climbing on board, FutureSplash gained the attention of a software company based in San Francisco, CA that was hard at work on several web software projects of its' own. In November of 1996 the small company was purchased by Macromedia and FutureSplash Animator became Macromedia Flash. Flash has continued to reshape the web ever since its humble beginnings.

Admittedly, just as in the movies, content is king! A website can have all the flying text and pictures in the world but may still offer very little to the end user. Sometimes in Hollywood movie houses produce motion pictures laden down with special effects where the story and characters get lost between all the fancy explosions. Albeit a simple illustration, it does remind us that one needs to build a house before you can hang pretty pictures on the walls. Flash is powerful and when used properly, it can provide that extra bit to put your site over the top!