Flash 10 Updates that Could Cripple Your Website

Flash is always the developer’s crutch whenever there are functions that are almost difficult to develop in an Ajax based application. Flash doesn’t only stream user friendly streaming videos and pictures; they also provide additional functions in the website such as file upload and other types of data related interaction.

But all of that could soon be gone with the recent update in Flash. Adobe has just released their latest version of Flash and this version is not very good news for different developers worldwide. The updates provided by Flash 10 are for security purposes as well as increased user participation in the website’s behavior.

Adobe has released a lot of security updates in Flash 10 but there are two updates that have a great impact on different developers. First is the upload and download file behavior. The latest version of Flash 10 will no longer use or recognize swfupload.

This function is often used in different websites, including Ajax based websites for easy file upload. It allows multiple uploads as well as a meter on the upload time. With this gone, developers would have a website wherein the information will be uploaded one by one instead in batches.

The second update is in the user interaction with the browser. Most websites that feature videos and other flash based functions automatically commands the browser to download the file for the user to view them. However, there are users who often avoid this type of websites as this will slowdown the download time of the website.

This is especially true when there are video advertisements on the websites. The latest update on Flash 10 will never allow auto download of different files. The new Flash will require interaction before any videos will be streamed in the browser. This could increase user acceptance as it becomes more bandwidth friendly.

The latest updates of Flash 10 could single-handedly end a website or will require the developers to install massive updates on their online application. The latest updates of Adobe have technically placed them on the side of the users wherein their preference is placed above the preference of the developers. Users might be seeing a lot of updates in different websites especially Yahoo Videos which employs auto downloads in the browsers for their users.

There is actually a lesson here. Going for licensed third party plug-ins and languages, this will never ensure that the compatibility and ease of interaction that you have right now will continue forever. The owners of the language can change some things in a snap which could end your website if some of their outmoded techniques are still being used in your website.

Some say that it’s time for Sun (Java) to step in but developers face the same problem, only with a different name. On the other hand, the open standards have always been there. Developers should push more of the open standard so that development and update will never be according to the preferences of Adobe developers but for everyone.