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Adobe to Stop Distributing and Updating Flash in 2020

This is probably the biggest news since Batman & Robin became a team.. :p

I guess all those Flash sites (porn most likely) will die off after upgraded OS's start reporting the outdated flash versions will no longer work with updated browsers. And since Adobe will cease Flash, u can't get an update... so traffic to such sites will decline as a result until they adopt HTML 5 or better.

Think 3 years is long enough though?
 
BMcCoy said:
Yup.

And as much i hate it... as much as i am keeping my iphone SE partly because of the headphone jack... I would reluctantly concede that in 5 years, we will all be embracing wireless and looking back and wondering why we ever stuck with wired headphones.
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I don't think it'll even take 5 years. 2 years tops.

I've learned my lesson about making a long prediction when it comes to technology...always make your prediction SHORTER than you think it really will be.
 
They should force an update today that will cease function on 1 October 2017. That should give everyone outside of car companies enough time to deal with its death.
 
MacRumors said:



Adobe-Flash.png
Adobe today announced plans to end-of-life its Flash browser plug-in, ceasing development and distribution of the software at the end of 2020. Adobe encourages content creators to migrate flash content to HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly formats.The elimination of Flash and Flash Player should not heavily impact most users because popular browsers have already moved away from the format. Starting with macOS Sierra and Safari 10, Apple disabled Adobe Flash by default to focus on HTML 5, and Flash has never been available on Apple's iOS devices. Google's Chrome browser has also been de-emphasizing Flash since the middle of last year.

Adobe's Flash Player has always suffered from a never-ending stream of critical vulnerabilities that expose Mac and PC users to malware and other security risks. Vendors like Microsoft and Apple have had to work continually over the years to keep up with security fixes.

Apple also shared Adobe's Flash news on its WebKit blog, and the company says it is working with Adobe and industry partners on the transition from Flash to open standards.

Ahead of its sunsetting in 2020, Adobe will continue to support Flash on major operating systems and browsers, issuing regular security updates, maintaining OS and browser compatibility, and introducing new features and capabilities "as needed."

Adobe says it will, however, "move more aggressively" to end Flash distribution in countries where unlicensed and outdated versions of Flash Player are distributed.

Article Link: Adobe to Stop Distributing and Updating Flash in 2020
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Does this mean Adobe AIR is going to be obsolete as well?
 
What a lot of hate for a product tha revolutionised the web!

It's time may have come and gone but in its heyday it was the only tech that you could write one and render on every desktop computer.

And now we have CSS, which still renders differently on different browsers. We have Apps that must be rewritten for each platform you want to support. All hail the mighty Apple but they really haven't made the web experience that much better.
 
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Remember that just because Adobe stops updating it in 2020 doesn't mean every website will stop using it at that point. There are likely to be plenty that won't update (because of required investment, lack of caring, or other reasons).

This will cause big issues as security holes are likely to pop up as they always do with Flash. No longer patching vulnerable versions means problems. Sadly, there may be some services you have to use which require Flash and thus would require using an vulnerable version.
 
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Sad. Flash was actually a great vector based animation program that introduced easy to use interactivity that even non-progammers could use to create games and websites. Truly amazing with no real equivalent today. RIP.
 
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mrr said:
Sad. Flash was actually a great vector based animation program that introduced easy to use interactivity that even non-progammers could use to create games and websites. Truly amazing with no real equivalent today. RIP.
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Flash was unmatched in an era before HTML5. Recently though it has become a real source of headache with inefficient code that uses up your battery, no mobile device support, and exploits constantly having to be patched.
 
The problem for users isn't browser support for non-Flash--the problem are arcane content providers who still REQUIRE Flash. I still cringe when I come across a website that basically I can't access ANYTHING because the menus, the content, the help contacts are all inside Flash.
 
BMcCoy said:
This reflects on the vision and thoughtful decision-making that once characterised Apple - under Jobs.

Isn't there a football-related quote about kicking the ball to where the player WILL be, not where he/she currently is.

We really do need visionaries.
With confidence.
Who care about the product more than the profit.
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Not sure about that one, but Wayne Gretzky is credited with saying that he skated to where the puck will be, not where it is.
 
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SeminalSage said:
Not sure about that one, but Wayne Gretzky is credited with saying that he skated to where the puck will be, not where it is.
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Yeah, that might be it.

It could be one of those odd quotes that's been mis-attributed to several people..
 
YES! Finally! :)
The idea behind Flash was not that bad. But it's embarrassing for a multi billion company not be able to create a reasonable security concept. After 20 years this plugin is still holey like a swiss Emmentaler cheese and unstable. This picture has appeared much too often.

2013-07-03-01-35-19-071103.png


OK, today a crashed plugin does not quit your whole browser but it's still annoying.

Sure with Flash the web started moving and wasn't only static but it kept annoying users with crash screens and kept admins on the run with sometimes fatal security leaks. Today with HTML5 it's obsolete. I told my wife years ago I will open a bottle of Champagne if Flash will be discontinued. Now I can chill a bottle by the end of 2020 and celebrate this! ;)

R.I.P. Flash!
 
Finally, just a shame it isn't sooner.

Only one site I use still uses Flash and I hope that will change soon. Even BBC iPlayer is supporting HTML5 now.
 
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