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Comment by kaddar | Hacker News Reader

I want flash to die; I just don't want closed platform policies to kill it.

This whole Flash murder/death/kill attitude is boring me to tears - I don't think any Flash developer would disagree that HTML 5 will (eventually) replace the more basic things that Flash does. Advanced multimedia will still use Flash. Ads will use whatever is most intrusive until the end of time so use whatever tools you have at your disposal to block them.

Also in the areas where HTML5 is not a good replacement, I would still like to see an open alternative over Flash. A closed alternative is just no solution (for me), that's why I also want to see it dying. Once its dead, there will be replacements for it (if there is need for it).

How more open do you want it? You are free to make your own player against the open specification.

Fully open isn't the answer for everything. Flash is the most widely distributed piece of software ever - it got that way by NOT being forked and offering what HTML didn't both in terms of consistency and features.

I think most people feel the same way, when people say they want flash to die I believe they are ok with playing webgames in flash. The most common frustration I have is browsing restaurant websites that use flash for their simple menus.

As a side note, I think there is also a subtle common UI pattern to abuse the hover feature on websites which is common in flash. It makes touch-based browsing more difficult and I wish web developers would avoid it. It isn't fair to blame flash for it though, javascript can do it too.

"I want flash to die"

Adobe and Macromedia were a startup once, just like many companies by HN members.

I want Adobe and its technologies to improve, not die.

Everything was a startup once. Not all technologies are necessary, and some fall by the wayside.

True. By principle I'd rather see U.S. (SV) tech companies improve and thrive rather then die.

In this particular case - the web was ugly before Flash and it'll be just as ugly after it. And as waxpraxi writes, some good did come out of it (force me and i'll make a list : )

Flash is not a gun, it does not kill, and i don't wish it to die.

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