Why shouldn't I use Flash?

Question

I\'ve heard many times that I should avoid flash for my website. Yet no one has told me a good reason for this. I\'ve searched for reasons and I see many that are not true (such

Answer 1

A major reason not to use Flash is because Adobe Flash is proprietary software. This means it is developed solely by a single company, and the source code is not available to the public. This is bad because:

• Flash is really only available for the platforms that Adobe decides to support. Currently, the list includes Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux (if you have a certain kind of CPU). A lot of platforms and architectures are marginalized, most notably the iPad/iPhone. That doesn't just hurt those weird people using FreeBSD on SPARC or whatever, it limits adoption of such platforms.
• Many people morally object to installing any proprietary software at all for various reasons:
  • Using proprietary software lessens interest in free alternatives. Also, Flash is the biggest roadblock of a fully open Web.
  • Running software you (or the public) don't have control over makes it more likely that someone else might use it to spy on you.

There are a few open source Flash implementations, such as gnash and swfdec. However, last time I checked, most Flash content simply does not work with them.

Although Flash has a bad reputation for being associated with intrusive ads and gaudy effects, this could also be said about excessive JavaScript. Just because a technology is often abused doesn't mean it should be considered harmful and shunned categorically. In my opinion, Flash as a technology is actually really great. However, (primarily) because it is proprietary, Flash limits accessibility and adoption of new technologies.