Tip #1845 - Web Design Workshop: What's That Sound?
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Did
you hear that? Why is this site taking so long to load? What the heck
is going on?
If you have asked
those questions, then most likely you have visited a website that includes
music as a part of its design. The owner of the website probably loves
that song and wants to share it with everyone. If you have a favorite
song and want to have it play automatically when people visit your site
then I have one contraction, two words, and an exclamation point for you:
Don't do it!
Well, maybe that was
a little harsh, but let me explain the meaning behind my meanness. Imagine
someone checking the internet from a library or work computer, clicking
a link to your site, and having heads turn as sound unexpectedly erupts.
The person who just got embarrasssed (or even in trouble with the boss!)
will probably close the browser to stop the noise and never return to
your site.
For everyone else,
music that automatically plays upon visiting a site can cause problems
such as the dreaded "slow load" and irritation followed by a
rash. Okay, so I exaggerated on the rash part, but the other two can happen.
The slow-load problem
happens when the web site designer instructs the music to play ‘on
load'. That means that while your browser is pulling down all the info
(the graphics, text, pages, etc.) for the site, it's also trying to get
the info for the music file and play it. It's just too much to load at
the same time, and usually causes a jam. In turn, this causes the site
to load slowly or even not appear at all for a few seconds.
A few seconds may
not seem like a long time (one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi…),
but when you're waiting for a site to load, it can feel like forever.
If a person is waiting for your site to load and nothing is appearing,
then they may think that something is wrong with your site and just go
somewhere else.
If you really want
to have music on your site, give the viewer an option to listen to it
or not. Provide a link that allows them to listen to the music if they
choose. This way, the site will load quickly. If they choose to listen
to your music, they will click the link to hear it. Everyone will live
happily ever after :-)
~ Kim Ganues
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