My category pages (a CSS based HTML site) contain several images (probably 35 on each), and I am interested in adding the MM_swapImage to each image to make them kind of jump a little when hoovered over, but am wondering if this is a javascript or something that will hurt me SEO-wise. It's not necessary code, so I am thinking it would be best not to use it, but want to ask because it's appealing to the eye.
If you are using hoovered is the best option it will looks good you can just define in CSS also it is not necessary to use java script.
If you are using javascript will affect or not i don't know but the website should be SEO friendly so that you can start proper working on SEO.
I'm not sure if the MM_SwapImage is javascript or not, it doesn't have a tag but I am guessing it's along those lines. I'm doing this in Dreamweaver. I will have 650 images to do, can that all be done with a single CSS line? Is it a code that is added to the stylesheet and then the swap over image specified on the page? Obviously I don't know how to do this but if this can happen I can hire someone to do it. I will hire someone or just not do it if this is the bes way for the site.
The whole mm_swapimage thing from Adobe is just another of the fat bloated bits of javascript doing CSS' job, and is one of the many factors contributing to why I say there is NOTHING you can learn from using Dreamweaver. In terms of SEO though, the engines could give a flying purple fish about a hover state -- IF that hover state actually has an image because, well... it's an image... or has proper fallback text to help with linking and ranking for terms by using some form of image replacement. It IS a bad, bloated, pointless use of javascript and decade out of date methodologies in site-building, with plenty of good reasons not to use it. There are far better techniques like the incorrectly named "CSS Sprites" which can be combined with other techniques like gilder-levin image replacement to be faster, smoother, more accessible, provide graceful degradation images off, etc, etc... but SEO-wise? Honestly it's hard to say without seeing the page in question and the images involved. If you're crapping out IMG tags for what should be plaintext, then yes, it's bad... if it's just something like gallery images with hover states, not so much.
I have not been a member here long enough to post urls, so I can't post them, I can PM them. Still chewing on your other reply, in between chasing a sick two year old. Hope to work on the site more today though. =)