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It’s Time to Move Away from Adobe Flash

The death knell for Adobe Flash has been sounding for many years. First, Apple rejected it from their IPhone, IPad and IPod Touch in 2010- the roar of controversy that greeted it seems a bit daft now.

Then a series of security controversies greeted dear old Flash, and one by one, Adobe Flash slipped from the go-to plugin to an optional extra- especially after the widespread adoption of HTML5. Which, let’s face it is better in pretty much every way.

Yet surprisingly, on some websites Adobe Flash is still used- on everything from work scheduler systems by Kronos to Channel 4’s All 4 catchup website. That will soon have to change; for example, December 2020 sees Google Chrome turn off Flash from its browser completely.

It feels like the farewell is near. Though, let’s remember the good times of Adobe Flash just like we did Clippy, the Microsoft Office Assistant. Here’s why it’s time to move away from Adobe Flash.

It’s Outdated

Adobe Flash was something developed in a previous era of the internet- an era where you had to be a computer to get your internet fix- and at the time it was revolutionary. One only has to think of the litany of web-based games that millennials spent hours playing during ICT lessons. If your computer didn’t have Adobe Flash installed, you were the loser.

But times have changed- and Flash is just a remnant of a time gone past- a bit like a BT Phone Box or a postcard from Auntie Wendy. With HTML5, you can do all of the same and above- also it’s natively built into the browser. It means things are quicker, more secure and a damn sight more flexible. Once more, you’re not solely reliant on proprietary software for your functionality. Sure, like the ageing Dad that tries to be trendy, Flash can do the same but not as well. Adobe Flash in its design means it’s not possible for it to outdo HTML5. Not to mention a notorious resource hog- its processes slowing down other things.

It’s Not Trusted Anymore

There’s just been too many security incidents and controversies with Adobe Flash. It’s a bit like asking someone you know drops things to carry that rare and expensive vase. In any case, when a vulnerability appears, you’re relying on Adobe to ensure it’s patched. In February 2010, they had to apologise after taking a year to fix a known vulnerability. It’s little wonder two months later why Steve Jobs announced the lack of support for Adobe Flash on Apple devices.

Not that the 2010 apology changed things. Because as the years from then rolled on, more bugs and security concerns popped up like the Winter Flu virus.

HTML5 is the Future

Once upon a time, you couldn’t avoid a website without some form of Adobe Flash; whether that would be as part of the functionality of the website or displaying adverts. But that’s no longer the case. Over the years, websites ranging from the big players such as Youtube to small start up businesses have eradicated Flash from their websites in favour of HTML5. It’s a platform that isn’t just all we’ve mentioned already- it’s also cross platform compatible. So where with Adobe Flash you would once have to install a plugin on each device you use- and woe betide you had something that wasn’t flash compatible; HTML5 compatibility is natively built into pretty much all the browsers you could possibly think of for any device.

Now’s A Good Time to Change

With support for Adobe Flash on browsers and systems rapidly becoming rarer than a sighting than the flying spaghetti monster, if you’ve got a website containing flash, now’s a good time to fix that. To be precise- 14 months until Google Chrome turns it off completely.

The last thing you want is to reach December 2020 and find yourself in a situation where your customers or audience cannot use specific functionality on your website because you’ve not got with the times. So whether it’s a website or something accessed using a browser- it’s time to start thinking of the future.

Once more- we at Dorset Tech can help you with that. Everything we build from apps to websites is Flash free- we only use the latest methods and systems. This means with us, you’re ahead of the curve. It doesn’t cost as much as you might think, either. Contact Us today to find out more.

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