As for 197 Kb animation ..... a 50 second download on a dial up connection .... everyones out of here.
Hi Egg

I covered this point in twinkling stars. Animation is okay but it seems a lot of people are growing up with fast machines and high speed internet connections and are starting to loose the concept of a web page. A web page is basically a means for conveying something you have or you know to somebody else, either for free or for a price. And please, please do not tell me that for optimal viewing I have to use msexplorer version x cause I don't, I won't and I probably never will.

Your banner is very nice but animating it is create a bigger site, a slower site which is not really in your interest. If your site has not come in under 15 seconds you start loosing people and the longer it takes the more you loose
This is old information from the old dialup days but it still applies to an awful lot of people yet........frank