Poor performance, security issues, hardware acceleration conflicts, lack of compatibility on open platforms… Flash Player's negative points have been piling up for a long time. As if that were not enough, Adobe refuses to take up the gauntlet, a decision that invites other companies to completely replace its technology. Google already did its part on YouTube, but now it's Mozilla's turn, which with its Shumway project plans to play Flash content in Firefox without the presence of the plugin.
Want to make Flash Player nervous? In some cases, all it takes is updating the video driver. The next step is waiting for the update that fixes the problem, and being left with the feeling that everything has become a bit heavier on the computer. I still remember very well the cold war between Adobe and Apple. Back then, the Web wasn't ready to abandon Flash, but half a decade has passed since then, and the rules are very different. Hardware and software have improved significantly, yet Flash projects a tired, defeated image, and I'd even venture to say obsolete.
This has led some of the big names on the Web to start considering the possibility of a Web without Flash. Google enabled HTML5 mode in YouTube as the main option, although some browsers still prefer Flash playback. Another name seeking the permanent retirement of Flash is Mozilla, and its initiative is known as Shumway. Unlike what happened on YouTube, Shumway's plan is to play Flash content without the presence of the plugin—a detail critical enough to maintain compatibility on most websites. Shumway's current state barely qualifies as a prototype. Those interested will need to download the latest Firefox nightly and head to the product tours offered by Amazon, since Shumway only works with those videos for now.
There are still many games, video players, and advertisements that depend on Flash as much as ever, but we can do nothing other than welcome ideas like Shumway. Mozilla has a huge amount of work ahead, and I imagine the technology will remain in nightly territory for a long time, but it's good to know it's on its way. The other alternative would be for Adobe to do something. For years we've cried out in vain for it to make Flash Player open source. If the industry seems determined to retire it, why not make the change?
Official site: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Shumway
