Comments on: Ajax vs. Flash http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/ Like a chicken with a jewel in its beak. Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:34:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jonathan Boutelle http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/comment-page-1/#comment-48762 Jonathan Boutelle Thu, 15 Mar 2007 01:39:06 +0000 http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/#comment-48762 Hey! Thanks for blogging this. I uploaded the slides to slideshare, and put most of the text from my talk there as comments. http://www.slideshare.net/jboutelle/ajax-vs-flash-whats-right-for-you For those who say that Flash is evil, point to compelling alternatives for shooting video with a web page, doing vector graphics, and the other things I mention in my talk. Hey!

Thanks for blogging this.

I uploaded the slides to slideshare, and put most of the text from my talk there as comments.
http://www.slideshare.net/jboutelle/ajax-vs-flash-whats-right-for-you

For those who say that Flash is evil, point to compelling alternatives for shooting video with a web page, doing vector graphics, and the other things I mention in my talk.

]]> By: shacker http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/comment-page-1/#comment-48572 shacker Mon, 12 Mar 2007 16:17:28 +0000 http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/#comment-48572 Coda: For an ironic capper, note that some of the most popular Ajax libraries (Dojo, Scriptaculous) are starting to implement offline storage libraries in Flash (see above for reasons why). So many seemingly "open" Ajax implementations out there are now sitting on top of a transparent Flash layer. Coda: For an ironic capper, note that some of the most popular Ajax libraries (Dojo, Scriptaculous) are starting to implement offline storage libraries in Flash (see above for reasons why). So many seemingly “open” Ajax implementations out there are now sitting on top of a transparent Flash layer.

]]> By: shacker http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/comment-page-1/#comment-48571 shacker Mon, 12 Mar 2007 14:18:37 +0000 http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/#comment-48571 All good arguments, mnep, and part of me agrees. But I'd counter with this: If I needed to write a particular <i>kind</i> of message that couldn't be written with a normal pen (say I need to deliver a painting rather than a note), but I knew that 1% or 2% of users would not be able to view the special painting, would I simply not deliver that special message at all? This is an area where there isn't an alternative. It's not like the developer has a choice and can opt for an OSS alternative to Flash, because there isn't a viable one. The trick is in having enough familiarity with the technologies to know what kinds of things can be done with a more open/compatible DHTML alternative and which kinds of things simply cannot. And there's a lot that Flash can do that DHTML cannot. For many kinds of presentations, it's not like you have a choice of tools. The only choice you have is to use Flash or not to deliver the message at all. All good arguments, mnep, and part of me agrees. But I’d counter with this: If I needed to write a particular kind of message that couldn’t be written with a normal pen (say I need to deliver a painting rather than a note), but I knew that 1% or 2% of users would not be able to view the special painting, would I simply not deliver that special message at all?

This is an area where there isn’t an alternative. It’s not like the developer has a choice and can opt for an OSS alternative to Flash, because there isn’t a viable one. The trick is in having enough familiarity with the technologies to know what kinds of things can be done with a more open/compatible DHTML alternative and which kinds of things simply cannot. And there’s a lot that Flash can do that DHTML cannot.

For many kinds of presentations, it’s not like you have a choice of tools. The only choice you have is to use Flash or not to deliver the message at all.

]]> By: mneptok http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/comment-page-1/#comment-48569 mneptok Mon, 12 Mar 2007 07:35:06 +0000 http://birdhouse.org/blog/2007/03/11/ajax-vs-flash/#comment-48569 <i>"... before they’ve been corrupted by the industry to think Flash is evil."</i> But ... Flash IS evil! You're locking your content into something that is licensed to you. Macrodobe can change that license and its pricing whenever they see fit. They also decide who gets invited to the party. These days, anyone on anything but Windows, OSX, or i386 Linux isn't invited. And if you want to develop Flash content, well, you'd better be the type of person that will pay for an OS. It's Windows or Mac only to create content. Flash is a neat tool. But if this was paper, and I told you that a special pen could make the writing look really cool, provided 1). You could afford the pen. 2). Used a desk Macrodobe approved of. 3). Were willing to accept that the pen and its ink remained the property of Macrodobe after your purchase. 4). You knew that a significant number of people could not read the ink. you'd laugh me out of the room. And rightly so. Why isn't that happening here? Why do software developers get breaks the pen and paper industry don't? “… before they’ve been corrupted by the industry to think Flash is evil.”

But … Flash IS evil!

You’re locking your content into something that is licensed to you. Macrodobe can change that license and its pricing whenever they see fit.

They also decide who gets invited to the party. These days, anyone on anything but Windows, OSX, or i386 Linux isn’t invited. And if you want to develop Flash content, well, you’d better be the type of person that will pay for an OS. It’s Windows or Mac only to create content.

Flash is a neat tool. But if this was paper, and I told you that a special pen could make the writing look really cool, provided

1). You could afford the pen.

2). Used a desk Macrodobe approved of.

3). Were willing to accept that the pen and its ink remained the property of Macrodobe after your purchase.

4). You knew that a significant number of people could not read the ink.

you’d laugh me out of the room. And rightly so. Why isn’t that happening here? Why do software developers get breaks the pen and paper industry don’t?

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