I'll give everyone a great example of why I hate Flash:
So I downloaded the new Flash 11 and installed it, the 64 bit version so I can now use 64 bit IE. I have IE 9 set to not accept third party cookies. In Flash, I don't want cookies set either so I go to the global settings and make sure no sites can save anything on my computer. Now Flash doesn't work at all. No where. It should work on some sites that don't require cookies but it won't even load. I'm not sure why this is but the only solution I've found is to completely uninstall Flash, restart my computer and then reinstall it and allow every site to store Flash cookies on my computer. I've replicated the issue with Firefox and Chrome.
Strangely enough Youtube worked during these issues - because of HTML 5.
Also, there's a bug in Flash 11 in Windows 7 where for some reason the taskbar doesn't get hidden when you full screen a flash video.
Flash could've been useful, but Adobe's coders are the worst in the business. All they had to do was make it small, efficient and easy to use. Essentially they did the exact opposite and only had a business model because there were no competitors. In addition, they have security issues and all these random strange issues which should never happen.
I liken Flash to Blackberry and how RIM is allowing Android apps on it's service. It has to do that to stay relevant because no one is going to use it otherwise. Adobe Flash would be dead within 5 years if they didn't switch their tools to work with HTML 5.
Now the question is, why would developers create two versions of the videos - one for Flash and one for mobile HTML5? Why wouldn't they just create an HTML5 video that plays on both mobile and standard browsers?
If only the site was Flash based .. I might have taken them seriously.
Flash is the only piece of software that has consistently taken down my computers at home and work (windows and linux). I'm jumping for joy to see it go.
Edit: I started my web career ~12 years ago using Flash .. it was magic but the browser has finally caught up .. let it die with dignity.
I see, I should uninstall Flash from my computer because you somehow have managed to have so much trouble with it. Now, I haven't had these issues but I'll go ahead and take your word for it that Flash is bad for my computer so I'll uninstall it immediately.
Disliking Flash doesn't make me a fundamentalist. Flash is "fine" in much the same way IE 6 is "fine". Sure, it gets the job done, but who the hell enjoys using it, user or developer?
Iunno, I'm not necessarily defending Flash's merits to the end user, but for the developer, AS3 along with what the Flash API provides are in many ways more advanced than even the latest browser-native technologies. Keep in mind browser implementations of canvas, css animations, audio APIs, authoring tools are still far from standardized. Of course, I look forward to when the situation improves in the coming years, but it's hardly comparable IE6 in my opinion.
I don't think much more needs to be said. Adobe has thrown in the towel themselves regarding Flash on mobile devices, as they couldn't manage to develop a solid experience. How can you argue maturity in this day and age while ignoring that Flash is dead in a mobile environment? (edit: until RIM saves it!)
I just don't understand all the Flash hate going on.
I can't remember the last time Flash killed my browser or OS. It's been at least 5 years, probably more.
Flash was designed to compensate for the deficiencies of the web. That's great. Now that web technologies are finally catching up, Flash is no longer as necessary as it once was. That's great.
So now we find ourselves in a transitionary period where HTML5 and friends are able to replace Flash in almost all situations. That's great. And for those remaining use cases where only Flash will do, well, it's available on all major desktop platforms. That's great. If you want to do something on mobile that HTML5 and friends don't support but Flash does, well, you're SOL thanks mostly to Steve. That's not so great. That's less innovative apps due to functionality denied.
So where does this leave us? Flash is a mature technology that has served its purpose well over the years, and has started to gradually fade into the twilight as open protocols fill the same gaps it was designed to fill. Go ahead and use HTML5 if it works for you; that's what it's designed for. But why all the hating on Flash?
I'm guessing you use Windows. Flash is kind of OK on Windows. It blows elsewhere. It drains my MacBook Pro's battery, it makes my computer uncomfortably hot, it still hangs and crashes more than all the other software on my computer put together, and it has a much higher propensity than HTML5 solutions to break standard things like Services, bookmarking, right-click and the back button.
How ironic. They talk about providing the best user experience on the web, yet their site offers a sub par experience on my phone. The text doesn't scale when zooming, so basically it's unreadable on the phone.
A modern website needs to be accessible on PCs, tablets, and smartphones. While there are arguable reasons for segmenting off the last option as an outlier (though some devices offer the resolution and capabilities exceeding some desktops), it is less justifiable making a distinct version for a tablet.
So you end up making a rich "HTML 5" version for tablet and smartphones.
Why, then, would you bother with Flash for the PC? If you have a modern simile for Tablets, Flash is just completely redundant.
Flash is a sign of a derelict site. It would be hard to justify its use for greenfield development.
If you have a modern simile for Tablets,
Flash is just completely redundant
I'm against Flash but this argument doesn't hold. It's like saying - if you have a modern website designed for mobile phones, than a native iOS app is redundant.
Flash is not redundant if it allows you to escape the browser's limits. Here, I'll give you an example -- try doing chat-roulette without Flash.
The best use for these CPU hungry, crash-happy little rectangles that represent portals into some pocket Universe, disjoint and separate from the web surrounding and encompassing it, is for audio and video. As that use becomes redundant Flash will have very little to justify its existence.
[+] [-] bosch|14 years ago|reply
So I downloaded the new Flash 11 and installed it, the 64 bit version so I can now use 64 bit IE. I have IE 9 set to not accept third party cookies. In Flash, I don't want cookies set either so I go to the global settings and make sure no sites can save anything on my computer. Now Flash doesn't work at all. No where. It should work on some sites that don't require cookies but it won't even load. I'm not sure why this is but the only solution I've found is to completely uninstall Flash, restart my computer and then reinstall it and allow every site to store Flash cookies on my computer. I've replicated the issue with Firefox and Chrome.
Strangely enough Youtube worked during these issues - because of HTML 5.
Also, there's a bug in Flash 11 in Windows 7 where for some reason the taskbar doesn't get hidden when you full screen a flash video.
Flash could've been useful, but Adobe's coders are the worst in the business. All they had to do was make it small, efficient and easy to use. Essentially they did the exact opposite and only had a business model because there were no competitors. In addition, they have security issues and all these random strange issues which should never happen.
I liken Flash to Blackberry and how RIM is allowing Android apps on it's service. It has to do that to stay relevant because no one is going to use it otherwise. Adobe Flash would be dead within 5 years if they didn't switch their tools to work with HTML 5.
Now the question is, why would developers create two versions of the videos - one for Flash and one for mobile HTML5? Why wouldn't they just create an HTML5 video that plays on both mobile and standard browsers?
[+] [-] xd|14 years ago|reply
Flash is the only piece of software that has consistently taken down my computers at home and work (windows and linux). I'm jumping for joy to see it go.
Edit: I started my web career ~12 years ago using Flash .. it was magic but the browser has finally caught up .. let it die with dignity.
[+] [-] talmand|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] j_baker|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] moskie|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] internets|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] talmand|14 years ago|reply
I really hope you are not suggesting that since you apparently don't enjoy Flash therefore no one else could possibly enjoy Flash?
[+] [-] beej71|14 years ago|reply
Edit: always use the right tool for the job, of course.
[+] [-] TruthElixirX|14 years ago|reply
It has its uses.
[+] [-] tmcb|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ryanwhitney|14 years ago|reply
I don't think much more needs to be said. Adobe has thrown in the towel themselves regarding Flash on mobile devices, as they couldn't manage to develop a solid experience. How can you argue maturity in this day and age while ignoring that Flash is dead in a mobile environment? (edit: until RIM saves it!)
[+] [-] talmand|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kstenerud|14 years ago|reply
I can't remember the last time Flash killed my browser or OS. It's been at least 5 years, probably more.
Flash was designed to compensate for the deficiencies of the web. That's great. Now that web technologies are finally catching up, Flash is no longer as necessary as it once was. That's great.
So now we find ourselves in a transitionary period where HTML5 and friends are able to replace Flash in almost all situations. That's great. And for those remaining use cases where only Flash will do, well, it's available on all major desktop platforms. That's great. If you want to do something on mobile that HTML5 and friends don't support but Flash does, well, you're SOL thanks mostly to Steve. That's not so great. That's less innovative apps due to functionality denied.
So where does this leave us? Flash is a mature technology that has served its purpose well over the years, and has started to gradually fade into the twilight as open protocols fill the same gaps it was designed to fill. Go ahead and use HTML5 if it works for you; that's what it's designed for. But why all the hating on Flash?
[+] [-] chc|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mukyu|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] glhaynes|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Father|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] deadcyclo|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] BlueZeniX|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] nefasti|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] interlagos|14 years ago|reply
So you end up making a rich "HTML 5" version for tablet and smartphones.
Why, then, would you bother with Flash for the PC? If you have a modern simile for Tablets, Flash is just completely redundant.
Flash is a sign of a derelict site. It would be hard to justify its use for greenfield development.
[+] [-] bad_user|14 years ago|reply
Flash is not redundant if it allows you to escape the browser's limits. Here, I'll give you an example -- try doing chat-roulette without Flash.
[+] [-] jackson71|14 years ago|reply
How does Flash jive with responsive web design techniques, meant to provide one flexible interface for desktop and mobile form factors?
Answer: It doesn't.
[+] [-] Encryptor|14 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] funkah|14 years ago|reply
[+] [-] InclinedPlane|14 years ago|reply
The best use for these CPU hungry, crash-happy little rectangles that represent portals into some pocket Universe, disjoint and separate from the web surrounding and encompassing it, is for audio and video. As that use becomes redundant Flash will have very little to justify its existence.
[+] [-] mbq|14 years ago|reply