Goodbye Flash
What Flash has done for the web was changing the way multimedia was presented online. It had become the de-facto for designers who think it is great to design websites, deliver photo slideshows, adverts, the list goes on. It became the standard in delivering online streaming video used by YouTube, BBC iPlayer, Channel 4oD to name a few.
Anything that the fancy designers have dreamt of, they stuck it on the tack board of the web with a grin on their face.
Not any more. I had enough. The implications that Flash has done to the web is not healthy, produced unnecessary waste and provided more distractions.
I went ahead by doing the dramatic thing and removed Flash from my Mac. Here is the shortlist of my experience with Flash and the irritable muck it had brought in through the stable doors.
- It takes up battery life ~ I don't want a resource hog.
- Flash adverts ~ I detest distractions. I want to be able to focus on what I am reading on the website.
- Time killer ~ It can bring down a web browser or tab easily . I don't want delays, I want to start reading.
- It produces cheap and unaccessible design ~ Go to the City College Norwich website and see that page curl in the top right corner? That has made links untouchable on the iPhone and iPad. This and other tiring shit proves that designers or developers have no understanding what Flash has ruined for the web in terms of accessibility. Update: City College Norwich removed the page curl. I bet you it will be back.
- To continue from 4), I have seen photographers, designers and many others decided it that Flash is the only way to showcase their work in a professional form. If you decided to think that, then you are instantly killing your audience and your own mojo. I don't want to load a full website like Reportage by Getty Images has done. Have you seen that hulk of crap? It is like clicking through treacle with jerky animation on this modern Mac.
Wait! I hear you cry! What about "Click to Flash"? Why would I want a reminder of grey transparent box reminding me where Flash is on the page? No sir, I want to experience your website without a fuss.
It is time for designers and developers to jack in Flash, start understanding what HTML5, CSS3 and the range of javascript libraries out there (jQuery or Moo tools, whatever takes your fancy) can do. If you think there is something missing in the current market, use the tools above and produce something amazing.
When you start producing something beautiful, clever and fast to load then I will start paying attention what you want to show me.
Latest: 9/11/2011
Adobe ceases development on mobile browser Flash, refocuses efforts on HTML5
Only the desktop version remains now.