Developers Petition Adobe to Open Source Flash – MakeUseOf

It turns out that not everyone hates Flash. Honestly, we thought the feelings of revulsion were fairly universal. However, one web developer has made it his mission to save Flash for future generations. How? By petitioning Adobe to open source Flash once they kill it off in 2020.

In case you hadnt heard, Adobe is killing Flash Adobe Is Finally Killing Flash... in 2020 Adobe Is Finally Killing Flash... in 2020 Adobe has announced it's killing Flash. This is it, with Flash going away for good. No comebacks, no last-minute reprieves, gone but not forgotten. Read More . Finally, after years of tech companies begging Adobe Die Flash Die: The Ongoing History of Tech Companies Trying to Kill Flash Die Flash Die: The Ongoing History of Tech Companies Trying to Kill Flash Flash has been in decline for a long time, but when will it die? Read More to hammer the final nail in the rotting coffin. It wont be happening for a few more years, but Adobe has announced its intention to end-of-life Flash at some point in 2020.

Most people are pleased that Adobe is finally killing Flash. Most people, but not everyone

A Finnish web developer by the name of Juha Lindstedt has started a petition asking Adobe to open source Flash. He accepts that Flash is flawed Security Alert: You Need to Uninstall Flash Right Now Security Alert: You Need to Uninstall Flash Right Now Flash is so full of security holes and vulnerabilities, it just doesn't make sense to keep it installed anymore. Here's how to get rid of it. Read More as it exists at the moment. However, hes arguing the case for Adobe to essentially hand Flash over to the internet to see what they can do with it.

His main argument appears to be that Flash is an important piece of Internet history and killing Flash means future generations cant access the past. The early web was built using Flash, which means that once its gone, games, experiments and websites would be forgotten.

Lindstedt even lists some of the ways open sourcing the software would keep Flash projects alive safely for archive reasons. He argues, There might be a way to convert swf/fla to HTML5/canvas/webgl/webassembly, or some might write a standalone player for it. Another possibility would be to have a separate browser.

The idea of open sourcing Flash is currently being discussed in various places, including Hacker News and Newgrounds. Opinions are very much split down the middle, which was always going to be the case with a debate such as this one. In the end though, it will be Adobes decision.

If you want to sign the petition to support the idea of open sourcing Flash you simply need to Star the repository on GitHub. Lindstedt promises that he will deliver this petition to Adobe at some point in the future. But its anyones guess what Adobes reaction will be.

Were fans of open source software Open Source vs. Free Software: What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter? Open Source vs. Free Software: What's the Difference and Why Does It Matter? Many assume "open source" and "free software" mean the same thing but that's not true. It's in your best interest to know what the differences are. Read More here at MakeUseOf. However, open sourcing Flash would just be keeping it around, and those gaping security holes with it. Flash IS part of internet history, but thats where it belongs; in the past with all of the other software thats been abandoned over the years. Let Flash die with dignity Why Flash Needs to Die (And How You Can Get Rid of It) Why Flash Needs to Die (And How You Can Get Rid of It) The Internet's relationship with Flash has been rocky for a while. Once, it was a universal standard on the web. Now, it looks like it may be headed to the chopping block. What changed? Read More , and lets all move onto a bigger and better future.

What are your views on Flash? Do you welcome Adobes decision to kill it off in 2020? Or do you think it would be a good idea to open source Flash to preserve the past for future generations? Will you be signing the petition? The comments are open below

Image Credit: Antonio Silveira via Flickr

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Developers Petition Adobe to Open Source Flash - MakeUseOf