> Microsoft didn't actually bundle or package the Flash Player with their > browsers.
I'm sorry, but I don't think the above statement is correct, Nick. Microsoft has had a custom flash player build for some time now. It was many years ago a separate activex plugin from Adobe, but my understanding is that in more recent years it has been a Microsoft custom build bundled with the browsers. Flash player updates on windows are distributed via windows update. It sounds like (from the Microsoft blog post) that the changes beyond 2020 for continuing function might require switching to the separate plugin, but I am not really sure about this yet. On the flipside, I also did not think that Firefox bundled the player, but maybe I missed that news. I have always just had the separate debug player plugin installed for my Firefox browser, which still works fine as a plugin (but if you are right about Firefox, then maybe I set up some special config for that a long time ago, and forgot about it since). Regardless, I certainly don't view this IE news as a 'long term solution', assuming it does mean that we have extra time beyond 2020 for IE11. Like you, I think it will possibly just 'buy us a few more months'. It doesn't actually stop the need to migrate apps or content to html5, but it just might provide a little more transition time. But potentially it might mean that when porting apps to html5, there could be greater willingness to avoid the need to officially support IE11 in the html5 version, which is good news IMO. I think there are lots of extra nice things in modern browsers that are closer to flash player capabilities (which makes it easier to emulate the original flash content/app) than is the case in IE11. Building html5 versions of flash content that are IE11-compatible is extra work, or needs extra polyfills or compromises, so if people are more inclined to ditch IE11, that is a good thing I think (and hope). Anyway, it still seems like we need some firm verification of these details... Cheers Greg On Mon, Sep 7, 2020 at 4:08 AM Nicholas Kwiatkowski < nicholaskwiatkow...@gmail.com> wrote: > Remember, unlike Firefox and Chrome, Microsoft didn't actually bundle or > package the Flash Player with their browsers. They relied on the > desktop-installed Flash Player plugin. > > So, it may be true that it will continue to run (they won't stop it), but > the Flash Player won't get any more bug or security updates. Microsoft > /will/ encourage people to uninstall versions, and I expect that future > versions of virus scanners will flag it when the next big security issue > occurs. Additionally, Adobe is going to stop distributing it, meaning that > new PCs or re-installs won't have access to versions directly from Adobe. > > TLDR: this may buy us a few months, at best -- unless you have a locked > down, kiosk PC that you need to run the content. Don't expect that the > Flash Player in the browser is going to be a viable option for much > longer... > > -Nick > > On Sat, Sep 5, 2020 at 1:10 AM Greg Dove <greg.d...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Yes this gives some 'hope' :) > > But it is difficult to be sure. > > > > It does seem to contradict one statement in this page: > > https://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/end-of-life.html > > 'Flash-based content will be blocked from running in Adobe Flash Player > > after the EOL Date' > > > > Are there any Adobe employees reading this thread who could verify the > > interpretation of the Microsoft blog post? > > > > > > > > On Sat, Sep 5, 2020 at 2:45 PM Flex&Java Developer < > shyamforf...@gmail.com > > > > > wrote: > > > > > Yes... i also thought all browsers will stop running flash. > > > But this article seems to suggest that Microsoft will still support > > Flash > > > player in IE11 post DEC 2020. > > > I also could not get clearly interpret this blog post if this is the > > case. > > > > > > Regards, > > > Shyam > > > > > > On Fri, Sep 4, 2020 at 5:27 PM Greg Dove <greg.d...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > That's interesting, it does sound like it might continue to be > > > 'available' > > > > in terms of 'function' after 2020 for player versions since June this > > > year, > > > > but disabled by default and not 'supported'in the old Edge and in > IE11. > > > > That interpretation is actually 'better' than I had understood it to > be > > > in > > > > the past (I assumed it would cease to function after 2020). But I am > > > still > > > > not 100% clear on that after reading this. > > > > > > > > I think it would probably require a very specific question and > response > > > > from Microsoft (and/or Adobe) to clarify this. It would be great if > > > > Microsoft and Adobe published some FAQs on this... > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Sat, Sep 5, 2020 at 10:10 AM Flex&Java Developer < > > > > shyamforf...@gmail.com> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi All, > > > > > > > > > > I am not sure if anything has changed regarding Flash Player. > > > > > > > > > > Wanted to clarify if Microsoft is saying that IE11 will still run > > Flash > > > > > Player post Dec 2020. > > > > > > > > > > Can anyone share their understanding from below blog post today > from > > > > > Microsoft ? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > https://blogs.windows.com/msedgedev/2020/09/04/update-adobe-flash-end-support/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > Shyam > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
