The ESRI Support AnswerTree (BETA) is a now available to help you resolve many common problems encountered when attempting to license or register ArcGIS Desktop products and extensions. Note that this requires Adobe Flash 9.I have to disagree greatly with him though:
I like the fact that it's build in flash! Something different from most of the other ESRI sites.Flash has no business being involved with support sites. It is hard enough to link to ESRI support documents. Granted fighting through the flash interface you can get to a document link, but I have to ask why they bothered with flash in the first place. They should have stuck to simple ajax interface and not require users to install Flash 9 to use it. Why companies put roadblocks in front of their users trying to get support just baffles me to no end.
Being held at the mercy of Flash
12 responses so far ↓
1
anon
// Feb 16, 2007 at 2:41 pm
Flash sucks. I’m embarrased for any company that tries to use it.
2
Manifold R0x0rz
// Feb 16, 2007 at 3:24 pm
I’m just saying Manifold doesn’t have flash on their support site.
3
Justin
// Feb 16, 2007 at 5:20 pm
I’m baffled that I’m still dealing with many of the same huge bugs and annoyances in 9.2 that I first got to know back at 9.0.
4
Justin
// Feb 16, 2007 at 5:20 pm
Correct that, I first got to know some of them at 8.0.
5
J
// Feb 16, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Flash is actually pretty cool when its not used excessively! Microsoft.com makes perfect use of Flash and it looks really impressive
6
Simon Jackson
// Feb 16, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I agree - I was under the impression that flash was a step forward. It is also being used a lot more for some online mapping.
7
Canuck
// Feb 16, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I agree with the fact that the search function on the ESRI help site sucks. I mean, you search for any given keywords, and you wade through a lot of irrelevant stuff before you find something relevant if anything at all.
With that said, I liked the flash interface. Though limited, it worked. What would ajax do to improve that particular search??
8
Lefty
// Feb 16, 2007 at 8:18 pm
James is totally right. Flash is horrible. The URL is static and can’t be bookmarked and it requires you to upgrade your plugin.
9
Canuck
// Feb 16, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Yup, Lefty, I agree with that….though, most users I think have an updated flash plugin just by virtue of other sites they may visit. Flash is pretty common out there - though I will admit not at all common on support websites.
10
James Fee
// Feb 16, 2007 at 9:38 pm
My fear is lack of static urls. “Permalinks” are what make good support sites. That I can bookmark something and it won’t change over time.
11
John Dowdell
// Feb 17, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Linking to discrete information can indeed be useful. Anything which does not follow the URL/anchor model of classic web apps — whether initially hidden in the presentation or requested from a database, whether Flash or Ajax — would have to take the same care in exposing browser URLs for such microchunks.
In this case, I think it’s an effective interface… the Flex-based SWF is used for quickly zooming in on the question through a fast series of diagnostics, and then provides a web link to the recommended document in their support database. You don’t need to link to the Flash screens during its discovery phase… just link to the final document that the Flash interface discovered best meets your needs.
(The majority of consumers had already installed Adobe Flash Player 9 by mid-December last year, less than six months after release. Many sites require its use already, for the far faster logic and media abilities it offers.)
jd/adobe
12
James Fee
// Feb 17, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Fair enough, my problems are more with poor execution than Flash itself. Even simple frames can give you problems with the URL.
I feel that in support situations having a unique URL is more helpful at any stage.
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