Quick Tips to Avoid Flash file Rejection!

It’s what every Flashden author fears, file rejection!

Believe it or not, as many as 50% of files uploaded to Flashden get rejected, mostly for incorrect file formats or perhaps copyright infringement. One thing to understand is that we don’t enjoy having to reject files, but we do it in order to educate authors and also maintain quality and consistency across the Web site.

As well as the general uploading instructions all Flash authors should be aware of, we’ve compiled a list to highlight some of the common mistakes authors make when uploading content. We hope you find this information useful not only for new authors, but experienced authors too!

• Ensure you provide an .fla file AND a published .swf, not only for your preview files, but for your main files also. We need the .fla file so we can check that the file/code is original, it has not been stolen from anywhere, and that there are no malicious code injections. The published .swf comes in useful particularly with files using special fonts as the reviewer may not have the special font on their computer. We want Flashden visitors to be able to preview files in the way you intended, so providing a .swf helps out not only us, but you and the potential customer too.
• Always ZIP your files, do not use .rar format. If you use .rar to package your files, your file will get rejected! This is simply because most users are familiar with .zip format, maintains consistency, and helps out all the people who purchase your content.
• When you provide a help file or documentation, don’t just write about what the file does. A description of the file is not the same as help documentation! Actually explain how the file can be updated by the user. List the structure of any XML files you use, for example. Mention the line numbers when referring to variables in your ActionScript code. And here’s a quick tip about writing documentation: Write it as though your grandmother would be reading it. Make sure it is very easy to understand. You might think this might take a while to write, but in the long term, it will save you time and avoid anyone writing to you asking “How do I do this…? If someone then writes to you to ask for help with one of your files, you can simply write back, “The answer to your question(s) is in the help documentation provided free with the file!”
• Flashden is very strict about adhering to copyright rules and regulations. If you use your own photos or sound effects that you own copyright on, just let us know. You can provide this information in the description field for all users to see, or just in the “Comments for the Reviewer” field that are only visible to the file reviewer once you submit. If you do not provide adequate information about copyrighted and potentially copyrighted files, we will unfortunately have to reject your files. If ever you are unsure about whether a file you are using is copyrighted or not, please consider using the free-to-use Flashden image, audio and video assets available on our Web site.
• Finally, please note that we no longer accept files that contain external links to Web sites. For example, if you create an XML news ‘widget’, please do not hyperlink to Google, Yahoo, or your own personal site. What you can do, and must do, is link to any page within Flashden instead. That might mean the Flashden home page, your personal Flashden portfolio page, or absolutely anywhere as long as it is within Flashden.net.

Are there any questions about the approval process you would like to ask Flashden? Is there anything you think we could do to improve the approval process? Please leave us a comment in this blog post if so, we would be glad to hear from you! We listen to every single suggestion sent to Flashden, and try to implement as many as we can. We’re privileged to have such a vibrant and talented bunch of contributors to the Flashden community!