2008/11/19 Ian Forrester <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > Adobe notes that 98 percent of computers have Flash installed, and it is > becoming crucial to have it to enjoy the Internet. That is of course, unless > you own an iPhone.
This is what scares me about Flash. Adobe's gaining a monopoly over the internet. Being dependent on one company is a practical drawback as well as an ideological one: there's no Flash for 64-bit Linux, for example, let alone more obscure platforms, and this is a practical barrier to the emergence of new technologies. I feel the same about the BBC's embrace of Flash's cousin Air - it's giving Adobe yet more leverage over the computing public. I can see the pragmatic reasons, but I feel that the BBC has deeper responsibilities than that. Paradoxically, I see the very closed iPhone platform as something of a bulwark against Flash: it's popular enough - especially among a segment of the population that makes technical decisions - that that 2% still matters. I really hope that Apple sticks to its decision over Flash. Paul. - Sent via the backstage.bbc.co.uk discussion group. To unsubscribe, please visit http://backstage.bbc.co.uk/archives/2005/01/mailing_list.html. Unofficial list archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
