The Flash Debate

1 February, 2010

Ok, I'm tired of it. If you read this you probably know I read a lot of blogs and that most of those are nerd-related. Lately they've all hit on one thing: Flash. From Zeldman to Willems to Gruber and Nack all anyone gets to read on the web is analysis of the great Flash debate. (Well, in all honesty, nobody reads Willems, but he did talk about it).

A little background for the non-nerds

Apple reignited the debate last week when it became apparent the iPad would follow in its siblings footsteps and not support browser plugins - not limited to, but namely: Flash. Apples only statements on why browser plugins are not allowed on the iPhone OS (which the iPad runs) have been related to performance - generally agreed to be valid concerns on mobile devices, even if an individual feels they are not justified.

The bigger issue

Anyone with any stake in the future of the web has an opinion on the issue. There seem to be three camps in the debate with many people wavering between them:

Those decidedly against flash - they feel that it is every developers duty to wipe Flash from the face of the earth in order to proactively bring about the wonders of HTML5
Those who acknowledge Flash's shortcomings, see that it has a limited future, but believe that if used properly it is a perfectly way to accomplish tasks on the web
Adobe engineers. AKA this guy (I'm not sure what his job at Adobe involves other than defending Flash)

All parties are deeply vested in the future of the web, and many have a financial stake as well. Basically it can be hard to know who to trust.

A resolution?

Uncharacteristically, I find the solution to be the center.

My ideals say that the future of the web leave no room for a technology like flash, but I also know that I need to get things done. Video needs to be on the web, and until the browser vendors get their act together and make a format a ubiquitous standard .swf is the closest we get.

While I remain in the camp who feels there is a place for Flash in the present and empathize with the group looking for it's demise there is one group I feel no pity for - the people who write things like this when talking about a file type:

A short and sad final note, after reading tons of debate the past few days: When you say other things shouldn't exist -- when you seek to kill others, rather than discover what you yourself can be -- the rest of us have problems finding ways to tolerate your intolerance. Please, let yourself open up.

Killing off bad technology isn't the same as murder - it's not the holocaust, and when that is suggested you lose the little bit of standing you had.

So, ummm what about Apple

If Apple is anything it is unpredictable. At one time apple said they would never use Intel chips. They said they would never make a tablet, they booted Steve Jobs - so who is to say what decision they will reverse next? The thing to remember is that every other major change Apple has made has been made in an attempt to make more money. Not a bad plan for a profit-driven company.

So, this raises the question, would Flash on the iPhone OS cause enough sales to make it profitable for Apple? Others have suggested it doesn't, based largely on the fact that anything Flash would normally do (games, specific sites) is replaced on the iPhone with custom apps - apps which Apple gets a cut of the sales of. See why the situation is so difficult to read?

And the mystery at Apple doesn't help - so no one knows what will happen. And they've already made their points, and now I've made mine.

So, like I said at the outset: I'm tired of it. Let's all find something else on the internet to complain about and come back to this one when something changes.