Web audio … is it a good thing? In many cases, absolutely yes. In many other cases, absolutely not. If you have something to say, web audio can be a very compelling medium. But if you use web audio technology to say what you’re going to say without asking folks if they want to hear it … watch out. It’s all about having permission to speak. Why do webmasters forget the wise old adage?

Do Not Speak Until Spoken To

How many times have you hit a website only to be bombarded with an audio assault? It’s almost as if the webmasters (or even worse, advertisers) have forgotten their manners.

Blaring a snippet of Flash-enabled web audio into the visitor’s ears without invitation is downright rude.

The kicker is that it’s never been easier to add web audio to a site. Record your piece, insert some code, and bingo … you’ve insulted your audience … if you go about it the wrong way, that is.

Would you be so quick to poke them in the eye with a pointy stick?

There’s a simple solution, of course. Consider it a wise new adage:

Don’t set your web audio to autoplay …