Good article on Flash / Open Source / etc....
Bradley Miller
bradmiller at dslonramp.com
Wed Mar 19 14:54:33 CST 2003
Ok -- let me bring this back down a few notches . . . rewind back to the
early browser / www days:
"I have to have a 'browser' just to view graphics . . why do I need them
on my trusty terminal window here?"
If it wasn't for graphics and ease of use, the Internet wouldn't be where
it is now. Period. I can see the next generation of web sites that use
capabilities beyond javascript/HTML/etc.... and it has to run on something,
and that something is Flash. Flash isn't all about moving trinkets and
eye candy . . . it's a very sophisticated application language that happens
to run on multiple web browser platforms. It sounds like a win-win in my
book.
Although I support and use Open software, someone still has to explain how
everyone "giving to the cause" is going to feed themselves one of these
days. I saw a very funny discussion about one guy that was upset that
someone using an open source library didn't have his code open source (and
basically free). (The solution was the program just used the library and
didn't modify it, so it's not free, nor needs to be "open".) Open source
doesn't equal free. Good software is still worth whatever someone will pay
for it. I just bought two license upgrades for ColdFusion and the complete
Macromedia Studio MX Plus. I have PHP running for free on multiple Linux
boxes and NT -- but I can still do just as much and at a lot lower
development cost on ColdFusion. There is nothing open source that can
touch the Studio MX Plus (Dreamweaver/Fireworks/Freehand/Flash) line of
products. Yea, I'm still tied to a Windows box . . . but I get a lot done
on that box and it keeps a lot of paying customers happy. Those paying
customers will be moving to more and more RIA (rich internet applications)
and Flash will be driving those designs . . . $$$$. Need I say more?
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