Flash and/vs PGML (code will win out)

[p.m]

Hey all,


It is dangerous for Flashers to make the *assumption* that, because of

the Flash Open Format, Flash will now be native in the 5.0. browsers.

You have to keep in mind that both Netscape and Microsoft have their own

agendas (as ofcourse, macromedia, and adobe). And there is no guarantee

that they will do as we all think they *should*.


If these browser vendors had designer's best intrest in mind, then we

would never have the incompatiblities that we have now. This is the

begining of the new 'vector wars'..and expect Flash to be in the firing

lines.


>From what I can sense from the mozilla newsgroup, netscape is very

strongly promoting PGML. PGML native, Flash plugin. Why? Because, they

argue, PGML is much more tightly integrated with the DOM, XML, etc. And

Flash, being a binary format, could never open up to that degree. In

addition, Macromedia is not opening up the source code, so free source

developers will not reverse engineer the plugin for other platforms. 


Utimately, code wins out. So when NS 5.0 comes out and it is PGML native

and is FAST...thats when Flash starts loosing. 


Macromedia should be the one responsible in working with Mozilla to make

Flash as tightly integrated into the Mozilla tree as possible. There

should be macromedia engineers actively working with the mozilla

developers on the mozilla newsgroup. I dont see this happening at all. 


The irony, of course, is that Macromedia claims Flash is now open. Yet

if this kind of development is not done in the open (with others such as

those in Mozilla.og) then you wont rally developers to the 'Flash'

cause.


By the way, Im recently getting 'enlightened' on the reality that Flash

and PGML should be complementary and not competitive. Macromedia is

promoting this concept... I also think they should actively promote it

with *code* that is complementary to the mozzila layout engine and PGML.


Regards

paul

paulflasher [dot] net

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