Where would Hollywood (and TV dramas for that matter) be without the tension of the non-linear progress bar that never seems to quite get to 100%? Until the very last moment that is, when the bad (good) guys are just about to discover the good (bad) guys engaged in their nefarious activities. Saw a clip of the The Net the other night – even a floppy disk wielding Sandra Bullock back in 1995 had a tense and sweaty moment with a low resolution progress bar.
Surely it’s time to move on to a completely different widget! Or at least recognize the progress bar’s contribution to movie excitement with a lifetime achievement award. And, if Bart the Bear can have his own page on IMDb, maybe the progress bar should too.
