Why can’t HTML5 and Flash co-exist?
Feb 28, 2010 Articles
This post is a comment in reply to user sentiments on a recent Mashable poll titled “HTML5 Knocks Out Adobe Flash in Reader Vote”, with some minor changes for clarity.
I’ve mentioned to people before, Adobe is at a critical point here. They can choose to sit on their arses and ignore HTML5, which will steamroll Flash when it does come into play. Or they can choose to do something better with it. Adobe’s strategic advantage will be that they have control over the progress of the Flash platform, and they need to use that to quickly make itself relevant in a HTML5 world.
In the meantime, HTML5 is certain to replace everything else Flash is known for. Video, minimal animations and transitions for websites through CSS3 and Javascript, offline storage and rich applications. Flash needs to find a new niche to remain relevant (not surprisingly it will probably need to solidify its position as a browser gaming juggernaut) and they should be able to do that quickly without the need of a new web standard taking years to ratify, and browsers to uptake. They may even manage to do this without HTML5 gaining significant market share.
Pro-Flash campers need to see this as progress in web technologies and use the right tool for the job, not stick to their hammers for screws.
Anti-Flash campers need to see that Flash can still be a crucial technology on the web, and stop trying to mold HTML5 into something so complex that even it itself becomes a crutch on the internet, in the fool’s hope of crippling Flash with a “Anything you can do, I can do better” charade. K.I.S.S.
In essense, stop this senseless Flash hate. Killing Flash will not get rid of ads, or popup videos, or get rid of browser vulnerabilities. Yes Flash Player is shit on non-Windows systems. Yes it has vulnerabilities. But those can be fixed. Focus your energies on getting Adobe to fix shit, not on Flash.
Anyway If you’re reading this, Adobe, the ball’s in your court at the moment. Show me what you can do.
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Hey Daryl,
Came across your site while Googling for a solution to some Flash problem I had( Can’t remember what).
Interesting reads, keep on posting!
ps. Are you from the BAM course? I just so happen to be an RMIT graduate too
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:44 pm
Hi Jason,
I’m still studying in RMIT (B.SoftEng)
Not sure what BAM is?
Cheers
Daryl