Flashy sites (boo.com specifically)

PURPOSE?
I may be new at Web design, but the most basic element of creating a web
site is defining a clear purpose and letting that drive the site's creation.
Is boo.com trying to sell me something, or show off how much
time/effort/money they have invested in flash development?

From my handy dictionary.com: Flash - To trick up in a showy manner or showy
... pretentious, and vulgar.  Has boo.com taken their goal of providing a
online shopping venue and tricked it up in a showy manner that is not only
pretentious but vulgar?

Boo.com (and many flashy sites) have come to the internet with the approach
that if they make it cool enough users will come.  As said before, this may
work at least once - but business depends on repeat customers.

++++

USER CENTERED DESIGN
I have things to do, stuff to buy, articles to read, needs to fulfill. If my
goal is to buy something online I am NOT interested in going to the most
flashed up site to sit there and watch "Loading" bars and flying graphics -
I JUST WANT TO BUY SOMETHING!

The question I ask myself when developing as site is: "What is the most
effective and efficient way to achieve my purpose and the goals of the
user?"  I believe boo.com and many of these flashy sites are ineffective,
inefficient, miss their purpose and do not provide a way for users to
achieve their goals.

Darren Jeppson
Network Technician
Information Technology
(970) 351-2990
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